To Be a Snape
by DeceptiveFates
Summary: Follow Hermione as she learns of her true identity, makes new friends, keeps old ones, learns to love, and essentially grows up. this story starts in the summer between 3rd and 4th year, but continues through her 7th. DMHG eventually. Disregard HBP & DH
1. Guests?

_**Author's Note: **Hey all, so this is my fist fic, so please read and review I would love to hear what you guys think. So you know the story may move slowly, and Draco doesn't show up for a couple chapters, sorry!! anyways, enjoy:D_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot everything else is property of JKR._

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Chapter 1 – Guests

My name is Hermione Granger, though I'm sure you already know that, but what you don't know, and well, I didn't know this either, but today my entire world was about to change. And it was going to change for the better, there is absolutely no doubt about that. My friends, Harry and Ron, even Ginny, all think that my life is perfect, that I live some sort of fairytale life, perfect house, perfect parents, perfect everything. They couldn't be more wrong. I suppose at one time, perhaps when I was very young that might have been the case; but no, for longer than I care to remember, my life has been far from perfect. My mother, whom I love dearly, made the stupid mistake of shacking up with a complete and utter bastard. Now I don't say that lightly, ever since my father died when I was five, my world has been consumed by hate. Gary is my mother's second husband and consequently my stepfather (though I refuse to call him 'dad'), and I most definitely hate him with a passion. Now I don't mean I hate him because he's with my mother, granted that's part of the reason, but mainly it is because _he_ seems to hate _me_. Well, now that you know _that,_ what happens next should hardly surprise you, well, not too much anyways.

So I was sitting in my room, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. I was home for the summer holidays, and was thankful for some time to relax, especially since third year was so exhausting. I vow that no matter how many classes I want to take, I will _never_ go through that ordeal with the time turner ever again. So that evening, when the doorbell rang, I continued reading since I knew my mother would answer the door. When I heard her call for me to come downstairs I was a tad bit confused, seriously it was 7:00 pm, who on earth would show up without warning in the evening? Nevertheless, I figured I'd rather avoid any unnecessary conflict tonight, so I trudged downstairs to see who the cause for my disturbance was. I was therefore quite shocked to see my formidable Potions Master standing by the fireplace in our sitting room.

"Hermione darling, this man says he's your teacher at school and that there is something urgent he needs to discuss with us" said my mother nervously fiddling with her apron.

By this point, I am even more confused, as I can see no reason why he should be here at all, let alone to discuss something with my 'family'. I use the term family lightly, for it has been many years since I have felt a part of this family.

"Well don't just stand there and gawk at him girl, make yourself useful and fetch some tea!" barked Gary, for I resolutely refuse to call him 'father' as my mother so wishes.

"Of course, my apologies" I say, demurely. Inside I am seething at his harsh, demanding tone, in front of my professor no less. Professor Snape on the other hand seems to be watching our family interaction with mild interest. Perhaps he is shocked that my family treats me so, for he must have assumed, like everyone else, that I live in some sort of happy bubble.

I return with the tea, and served it to our guest, my mother and Gary. Once I have completed this task, I ask, "So what brings you here professor? Has something happened?"

"No, Miss Granger, nothing is wrong per say, however something has happened, I have recently been made aware of, something which concerns you."

Now by this point I'm nervous as hell, like seriously, what could he have possibly have been 'made aware of'? I haven't done anything wrong or illegal, well, aside from that incident with Sirius and the time turner at the end of last year I thought, mentally reviewing my actions off late.

"What in the hell have you done now girl?" growled Gary, sending me a nasty glare.

"Nothing at all I assure you _Sir_" sneered Professor Snape in my defence.

So if I thought I was confused before, it's nothing compared to how I'm feeling now. Because right about now, I haven't got a damn clue as to what's going on, and I decided it was time I mentioned just that.

"Professor, could you please tell me what you are talking about? If I haven't done anything wrong, then what is the purpose of this visit?" I asked genuinely confused.

"What I am about to tell you miss Granger, is likely to confuse you, but I ask that you refrain from commenting until I have finished what I need to say, understood?" Professor Snape asked.

"Yes of course Sir" I replied.

"I am here to inform you Miss Granger, that you are in fact _not_ a muggle-born, and consequently are a pure-blood. This means that you are not even a Granger, at least not by birth." He said in a calm, nonchalant manner as though he were simply stating common facts. While I, on the other hand was torn between telling him he was off his rocker, to gaping like a fish out of water. I settled for a nice mix of both, as I started stuttering and gaping at the same time.

"B-b-but…n-n-n-no….n-n-not….p-p-p-possible…?" I stuttered out.

"On the contrary Miss Granger it is more than possible, it IS. You were adopted at the tender age of four, and placed in this home. Now, the reason for my presence is to inform you of the identity of your birth parents." At this point, he paused, as though gauging my reaction to his words.

I numbly nodded for him to continue, now desperately wanting to know my true identity.

"very well, this will come as quite a shock I believe, you see miss Granger, you have been put under a very strong glamour charm, one that can only be removed by someone who shares your blood, this was done for your own safety. But I will go into that later. You are not Hermione Jane Granger as you have so believed for all these years, but are in fact Hermione Kylana Snape. My daughter." He said.

Oh hell, he wasn't kidding when he said this was going to come as a shock to me, good lord, my feared Potions Master was my Father?! Oh sweet merlin, I think I'm gonna pass out.

Professor Snape merely raised an eyebrow. 'Damn I must've said that out loud. Crap.' Oh well, truth be told, my mind was reeling with the implications of this newfound knowledge.

Oh hell, me, simple Hermione bloody Granger, daughter of SNAPE? Oh dear.

"um……well…..wait, why in the name of Merlin am I finding this out now? For the love of god, you've spent the last three years terrorizing me and my friends! And you knew all this time? How could you not tell me!" I raged.

"Miss Granger, I regret that you think so little of me, I was not aware of this fact until 3 days ago. I have spent the past two days verifying the validity of this claim. I assure you if I had known sooner, you would have been made aware of it immediately. There is much that you are unaware of, and that, given the time, I will explain, only however, if you are willing to listen." He said in a measured voice.

"Forgive me sir, I would like very much to know the truth, I let my emotions get the better of me, I'm sorry" I replied meekly.

"Quite. Perhaps you would like me to remove that glamour? Rest assured the changes are not too drastic, you will still be recognizable, but there will be changes." He says.

I just nod for him to continue, as I am a tad apprehensive as to what my new appearance will be like. However when he did remove the charm, the sight that met my eyes, shocked me. Well that is, it did once my eyes stopped stinging and he conjured a mirror for me to see my reflection in.

My height did not change, I remained a modest 5'4", but the most noticeable changes were my hair and eyes. My hair changed completely, instead of the brown frizz that I was used to, it now fell down my back in a slightly wavy curtain of inky black, which was thankfully, frizz-free. My eyes on the other hand shocked me more than my hair. What were once, warm coffee coloured eyes now stared back in the most shocking tone of violet I had ever seen. It looked almost inhuman in an ethereal sense. I had never seen eyes of this colour in my life, and I doubt I would believe it if I didn't see it myself. They looked almost electric, all in all, they were mysteriously beautiful. But he was right, essentially I looked the same, my skin became more pale than it used to be, and there were other changes to my physique that only myself or another woman would notice, but none were unwanted. In short I was quite pleased, and was ready to settle down and learn more about my new family.

"wow…..um, wow…..well, professor, if you're my father, then who was my mother? What happened, why did you give me away?" I asked, hurt that they apparently didn't want me when I was a child.

"Do not get the wrong idea Hermione, you were not given up, in fact you were taken from us quite unwillingly, by force. You should know, I have been searching for you for more years than I care to count. But before I go into a detailed account of your history, I should inform you that you are not an only child, but have two brothers." He replied.

"older or younger?" is all I asked.

"neither" he replied, "the three of you are actually triplets"

Damn, just when I thought that there wasn't going to be any more shocking news for the night, he hits me with that!

However, once he said this, I suddenly noticed a strange sensation, and following this I could have sworn I was hearing voices in my head.

'great' I thought, 'now I'm going crazy, honestly, hearing voices in my head'.

"Now I know this is shocking, but since you are triplets who are exceptionally powerful, you also have some unique powers, one of which is that the three of you have a mental connection, and are essentially telepathic. You have the ability to converse with each other through your minds. Distance has no affect on this power, though with proper training you can learn to block them out, or keep them from certain thoughts. Do you understand?" he asked.

"I see" I answered, while thinking 'and here I thought I was going crazy hearing voices in my head, well at least that's been cleared up'.

"Now I realize that this is a lot for you to take in right now, so I will leave you for tonight to come to terms with what you have just learned. If it is your wish to learn more then you may send me an owl tomorrow. However, I understand if you do not wish to leave your home, or acknowledge your true identity. If this is the case then I assure you I will not treat you any differently. I must insist that you keep this news about your true parentage to yourself, as I am sure you are aware of my more unsavoury acquaintances. However, I do wish that you consider all that I have told you today carefully. Though I cannot make any demands, know that I have searched long and hard for you, so this is as much of a miracle to me as it is to you."

He said this all in his usual cool manner. Though I must admit, it is strange to hear him speak to me without the usual harsh bite to his every word. Mind you, I am not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I assure you professor, I will sleep on it, and contact you in the morning." I said, attempting to keep at least some semblance of normalcy.

"of course, thank you for your time" he replied.

Throughout the course of that last exchange, all I could think was, 'he has manners?! When did he become so damn polite?!' although I suppose that has something to do with the fact that he was now talking to his daughter 'eek!' not the Gryffindor know-it-all he seemed to loathe so much. 'Perhaps this could work out in my favour' I thought.

As it were, he returned my appearance back to 'normal' despite my requests otherwise and promptly left, leaving me with a shell-shocked mother…well adoptive mother I suppose, and a down-right pissed off step father.

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_hope you liked it!_ _tell me what you think, I'd love to know! _


	2. Meeting the Boys

_Hey all,_

_Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate the input. So you know, Snape is kinda OOC especially around Hermione, but hopefully later on he will seem 'normal' again. __I'll let you meet the boys now, lol! __hope you enjoy the next chapter! __  
_

_**Disclaimer:** I own only the plot and the Snape Brothers, nothing else I'm afraid, its all JKR. _

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Chapter 2 - Meeting the Boys

Well, I certainly did as was asked. As soon as Professor Snape left, I promptly marched up to my room, calmly ignoring Gary's furious shouting, to contemplate what this new information could mean for my life. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the benefits far outweighed any of my original misgivings about the situation. True, the thought that Snape is my father is….disconcerting to say the least, but surely that is to be expected! Who wouldn't be shocked to find out that the one professor in their school who positively despises them is actually their biological father. Perhaps it will take a few days to sink in….and as for two brothers, well I always was complaining that I was an only child. However, I think the icing on the cake for me, is that this means that Gary really has no say in anything, since he may be my step-father, but my _biological_ father is now clearly alive. Perhaps not all is lost after all. Hmmm, ok seriously, by this point in my inner ramblings I could swear I heard my brain groan from all the unnatural stress, maybe this would be a good time to hit the bed. And so with this last revelation, I slipped into bed and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

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I awoke the next morning after a surprisingly peaceful sleep considering the events of the night before. Unfortunately, this blissful feeling was short-lived as I realized that the reason for my current state of wakefulness was due to Gary yelling at me from the bottom of the stairs. With a sigh I got up and made my way through my morning routine, and after a quick shower headed downstairs to see what all the yelling was about.

As I came down the stairs, I was met with the sight of two tall and very handsome boys who looked to be about my age. They were both approximately the same height, well built, and sported black hair. They were currently being threatened by Gary for breaking and entering.

"um….anyone care to tell me what exactly is going on?" I asked.

It was only then that they noticed my presence, but before anyone could say a word, there was a harsh knock on the front door. My mother answered it, and it revealed none other than professor Snape, yet again.

"my apologies, it seems you will be meeting your brothers sooner than even I expected. Miss Granger, may I present Malik Dreaden Snape and Aleksander Cale Snape. Your two brothers."

"well….I have to say I'm rather surprised to see you here, I thought I was supposed to Owl you this morning Sir?" I replied

"yes, that was the plan, until these two decided to take matters into their own hands _despite_ my implicit orders to do otherwise." Professor Snape said with a glare in the boys' direction.

'well' I thought, 'he sure as hell doesn't seem too pleased with them right now! Haha suckers!'

"oh ok. Well I suppose since you're already here, we might as well pick up where we left off, unless you have other plans right now." I added quickly.

"that would be fine. Is that alright with you Mrs. Granger?" he asked.

"yes, yes that would be alright, Gary and I will just go out for a while and let you talk, we'll be back later alright sweetheart?" my mom said.

"sure mom, have fun!" I replied, hoping I didn't sound too eager to get them out of the house.

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So my mother and Gary left as the four of us made our way into the sitting room, much like we did the previous evening. It was then that prof—well I suppose I should call him father now huh…yes…anyway, so it was then that my…father (wow that's going to take some getting used to) asked if I wished to have the glamour removed again. I consented, but as soon as my eyes stopped stinging, I was immediately met with an onslaught of emotions and rapid ramblings in my head, thus making my head feel like it was going to implode.

"argh!" I groaned holding my head. "could the two of you please SHUT UP!" I yelled.

"hehe oops sorry about that! Kinda let our excitement get the better of us….I'm Aleksander by the way" said one of my brothers.

"yeah, nice to meet you, would you mind keeping the excitement down a bit, at least until I learn how to control this?" I asked annoyed.

"sure thing" said Malik, sending me a sly grin.

"alright, now that that is all settled, perhaps the three of you could contain yourselves and stay silent for the next 20 minutes? Or is that too much to ask….Malik? Aleks?" My father demanded.

"honestly dad, give us some credit"

"yeah, seriously we can be as silent as the grave"

"when we choose to of course"

"naturally!"

"ENOUGH! Is this the kind of first impression you really want to have on your sister? Stop twittering and be quiet unless you'd rather I hex you into silence!" my father exclaimed, but continued in a calmer manner by saying, "Now, I am sorry for their behaviour Miss Granger…" only to be interrupted again by me, as I quickly said in a tentative voice, "you can call me Hermione you know….I am your daughter, and I guess I'm not really a granger, so it would make sense."

"thank you Hermione, I merely did not wish to take any liberties" he replied. "so, I believe you wish to know more about your history?"

"yes please" I answered rather timidly…seriously, he _was_ Snape after all!

"alright, now as I told you yesterday, you were not given up, but rather taken from us. It happened one evening in early August, I was just coming home when I noticed that something wasn't quite right about the house, the front door was slightly open. I entered the house and immediately saw a circle of Death Eaters surrounding you, your mother and your brothers in the main parlour. I was shocked, since the wards on the house are quite strong..." he paused, as if trying to collect himself from a rather painful memory, but continued by saying (rather stiffly I might add), "I am going to give you the abbreviated version of what happened if you don't mind. You must understand this is difficult for me to discuss openly…in short, your mother was murdered before my very eyes, yours too in fact, but before I could make a move to protect you one of the Death Eaters grabbed you and apparated away."

He said this all in a tight voice. It was clear to me that the events of that night still troubled him greatly, for he seemed tired, weary, in a way that I had not seen before in him. In short it was strange. He was always so cool, calm and collected; it was unnerving to see him so disturbed. Or perhaps it was the fact that he was openly showing that he was upset that shocked me more, who knows.

"why did they take me and not the boys? Why didn't they kill me?" I asked

"they took you because of the level of magic you were showing…you were too powerful and the other death eaters not to mention the dark lord, were threatened by you, or what you would grow to be." My father replied, "however, as for why they did not kill you, the only reason is that killing you would have split your powers and transferred them to your brothers. This is because you three are very powerful triplets, it is a unique power, one that claims that should one of you die, the powers of that child will be transferred to the other siblings. This is how I knew that you were alive, and believe me I have searched relentlessly for you…to think, all this time you were literally under my very nose." He muttered the last statement as if to himself.

"well you know it _is_ a rather large nose dad" said Aleks trying to lighten the mood.

However, I could not stop my eyes from widening in shock at the sound of those words. I mean it's one thing to think it, but to actually _say_ it? To _him_?! Man, that brother of mine sure has guts!

"watch your tongue Aleks or you might find yourself without one for the next three days" My father replied coolly.

"aw come on, I was only kidding dad…well sorta….no really, I was only joking!"

"I'm sure" he replied.

"_anyways_ basically what dad is trying to tell you is that you were taken by force and that we've been looking for you for the past ten odd years and it's ironic that the whole time you were one of his students, not to mention the fact that we have been waiting a long time for this reunion…it's like some part of us has been missing and now that we've found you…well, I don't think any of us is particularly anxious to let you go." Said Malik.

"Hermione, I realize I have been far from friendly to you these past three years, and I do not want to pressure you…even if you will not accept me into your life, I ask that you give your brothers a chance, they have done you no wrong. Do not punish them for their association with me." My father said softly.

I am overwhelmed by the emotion in his voice; I could swear I heard the longing for acceptance in his voice. It's true, he has been far from kind to me, but he is my father. How can I refuse that fact? But can I forgive his prior cruelty towards me? Towards Harry? 'Goodness this is confusing' I thought. Well I suppose I should take the first step, maybe start things off slowly, get to know the _real_ him…besides he didn't flip out at Aleksander's remark about his nose like I thought he would…hmmm, maybe he's different when he's not around his students.

Damn, I wish there was an easy answer. Ok, I decided, I will make an effort to get to know Malik and Aleksander…they _are_ my brothers after all. And I suppose I should face facts, I _have_ always felt something missing, perhaps it's the place of my true family. I know I will always love my mother, but knowing that I have a real family…and well, they've been searching for me, it would be horribly cruel of me not to let them into my life. Little did I know that my brothers heard every word that I thought, and could barely contain themselves. Well, I guess I've made my choice. Ok, done. Yet still so hesitant…well here goes nothing!

"um…I've thought over what you've said," I started hesitantly, "and I cannot deny my true heritage, it certainly explains a lot. I would like very much to get to know my brothers and you as well Professor. I just," I hesitated again, "well, I thought maybe…that is, perhaps the three of you, or at least my brothers, could maybe stay here for a few days. That is, if you don't have other plans. I just thought maybe it would be nice for us to get to know each other?' I asked.

There was a moment of pensive silence before he spoke again, saying, "That is a very generous offer Hermione, but shouldn't you ask your mother if it would be acceptable?" Professor Snape asked, "However, if she agrees then the boys would certainly be allowed to stay, though I think it might be a little awkward if I was present"

"oh, uh, yeah, that would probably be a good idea…I doubt she would mind, and I suppose you have other responsibilities, but it definitely wouldn't be a bother I assure you." I replied in earnest. Who would've thought that Snape could be so courteous?!

"in that case do either of you have any objections?" he asked they boys.

"none what-so-ever, we've waited a long time for this" Malik replied as Aleksander nodded his head in agreement.

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Shortly afterwards, my mother and Gary returned, and I pitched the idea to my mom.

"um, mum, do you think Malik and Aleksander could stay with us a few days, so we get to know each other?" I asked, with a slightly pleading tone in my voice,

"oh, well, sure honey, I think it would be good for you to get to know your brothers" my mother replied.

Now, if you're thinking that it's weird that my mother doesn't seem to care all that much about my getting to know my 'real' family, it's because last summer we had a very interesting discussion, during which she told me that I was adopted. Perhaps this is why it did not come as a complete shock to find out that I had another family.

"Absolutely NOT!" exclaimed Gary angrily. "I won't have some freak kids living under my roof! One is bad enough! And frankly you're not even Jane's daughter! You've got some nerve girl, thinking you can just invite whoever the hell you want over! You deserve nothing girl, do ya hear? You're a worthless freak, if I had my way, you'd have been kicked outa this house years ago!"

He said all of this while advancing on me, until I was backed up to the couch between my two brothers. It was only then that Gary and I noticed three very angry, rather menacing males looming protectively around me. It seems my new family was not taking too kindly to my step-father's threats, and frankly I was glad not to be in Gary's shoes right about now. As my father pulled himself up to his full height (which was about 4 inches taller than Gary, might I add) and stepped in front of my brothers and I, Gary (quite visibly) shrunk away.

Then with a glare that would probably even send Voldemort running, he said in a low menacing voice, "I strongly advise you to watch your tone when speaking to my daughter. If you ever speak to her in such a brash manner again, I promise you that I will not keep my temper under control as I am doing now. Am I making myself clear Mr. Riley?"

"uh-um-yeah, very." Gary stuttered out nervously.

Really, it's quite funny to see him cringe under Professor Snape's glare. I mean sure, I would too, but I take a perverse sort of pleasure from seeing Gary so uncomfortable. He's only been making my life hell for the past what, 7 years? Hehe Snape: 1 Gary: 0. Maybe having Professor Snape as a dad won't be all that bad.

Now I have to admit, between the three of them, I don't think anyone would so much as _think_ a harsh thought about me, they'd be too scared about getting ripped to shreds by my dad and brothers! Seriously, those three can seem pretty damn menacing.

"erm…thanks I guess" I said to my father after Gary stormed out of the room.

"believe me Hermione, it was my pleasure. Nobody speaks in such a manner to _my_ daughter" he said possessively.

"um. Right." I said. I mean really, it's kind of strange to have him go from hating me completely to being super overprotective like that. But hey, I guess it's just his fatherly instincts taking over. I mean I _am_ his daughter.

"well then, why don't you boys go home and collect your things and Hermione and I will set the guest rooms in order. Would you like to stay for dinner professor?" my mother asked trying to relieve the tension.

"thank you Mrs. Granger but I do not wish to intrude any further" My father replied politely.

"oh nonsense. Please, I insist, you must stay for dinner, I would very much like to get to know you sir, you are after all her father, and I understand you teach one of her favourite subjects? It is similar to chemistry I believe?" my mother asked.

"mum! Really!" I exclaimed. I definitely didn't think my mom was gonna tell him that I liked potions, and certainly not that it was my favourite subject, even if it was true.

"if you insist, then I will impose on you for a little longer madam. As for my subject," he paused, giving me a sly glance, "I was unaware that Hermione was so interested…though I am not entirely surprised, she is the first student in several years who has shown such potential in my field."

And so the evening went. My brothers flooed home quickly and came back with overnight bags, while my mother and I set up the guest rooms. All the while Gary was storming around the house being angry, while my father was left to investigate the makeshift library in the study.

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_leave a review if you've got the time! thanks!!_


	3. A Change of Plans

_Hey All, _

_thanks for all the wonderful reviews, I really appreciate it! _nljfs _kindly pointed out that I didn't explain how Hermione was able to maintain her telepathic connection even with the glamour put back on. Basically she was able to maintain her awareness because now she knows of the identity of her siblings, and previously she did not. The brothers were not able to have a clear connection with her before because though they knew of her, they didn't have any concious family connection with her. I dunno if that makes sense or not, but you can interpret it however you want, it's not a very relavent point to the story. _

_Anyways, here's the next chapter, hope you like it. _

**_Disclaimer: _**_It pretty much all JKR. _

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Chapter 3 – A Change of Plan

Nothing particularly exciting happened over the next few days while my brothers were with us. Gary was on good behaviour seeing as he was positively terrified of both my brothers, not to mention my father. The first day of their visit was mostly spent recounting the events of the last 10 or so years of my life, followed by an account of their lives. By the end of the first day, I learned that they were both fans of Quidditch, but were not completely obsessed like Ron is. It seems that they both go to Durmstrang so as to avoid the awkwardness of their father teaching them, not to mention all the taunting they'd surely receive due to their relation to him.

The next day was spent mostly with them teaching me how to control my thoughts and learning how to conduct a mental conversation. Needless to say it is not something that can be learned in the course of one day, but I definitely made some progress. On the whole, they are very nice boys. They tend to be rather subdued and quiet in the presence of my mother and Gary, but are more lively when it is just the three of us. I have started to notice the slight differences in their personalities as well. They both seem to have that silent, menacing quality that our father possesses, but Aleksander is more open. He is perhaps the more openly friendly one, whereas Malik has a tendency to appear more menacing. Already, in the short span of 4 days, I have started to form a bond with them, though I must say that for some reason I find myself becoming closer to Malik than Aleksander, not by much mind you, but still I find a strange sort of draw towards him. However, they will be returning to their home in two days time, and by their last day of their stay, I can only wish that they would stay longer.

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The boys were picked up by our father (and I had started calling him that in my head at least, I think it may be some time before I can call him 'father' to his face, let alone 'dad') at the end of the week. Before they left, my father once again cast the glamour, though I noticed that now, with the practice that I had over the past week, I was vaguely able to make out the voices of my brothers in my head.

After they left, life pretty much went back to how it was before their arrival. Gary would yell at me to do the dishes or clean the house, my mother would go to work, and I would spend the days reading. However, there was one change from the usual. While most summers were spent just reading and relaxing, this time I had the additional challenge of learning to control my thoughts and emotions, while communicating telepathically with my brothers. Since distance had no affect on the ability to speak telepathically, Malik, Aleksander and I found ourselves speaking on a daily basis. It was strange at first, getting used to having two foreign voices in my head, but gradually I got used to it. What was even harder though, was paying attention to outside conversation while another one was going on inside my head.

And so it went for the next two weeks. With the daily coaching I received from my brothers, I was able to control my thoughts a little better. This unfortunately did not stop their incessant chattering in _my_ head, in fact, I believe it encouraged it! Thankfully they had the sense to quiet down after my repeated threats to hex them, though they did need frequent reminders of said threats.

It was on Tuesday of the fourth week of July that really made the big change in my life. Gary's promotion was finalized, and what he failed to mention before was that it required him and consequently my mother, to move to the United States. This however did not bode well with _me,_ as I am required to stay in England due to my studies. It was for this reason that my mother, wrote to Professor Snape explaining the situation and asking if I could stay with him for the remainder of the holidays. He immediately replied back saying that I would be more than welcome. So on the following Friday, I found myself packing most of my belongings to take with me to Snape Manor. I was picked up by my father at my home on Sunday afternoon, and after bidding my mother tearful farewell and promising to send her off on Tuesday, my father shrunk my stuff and apparated us away to his home.

I had not done sidelong apparation before, and found it to be quite an uncomfortable experience. We appeared on the end of a long path surrounded by a lush meadow. My father caught me as I stumbled and tried to collect myself from the after effects of apparation. Yet nothing could have prepared me for the sight that met my eyes as I looked up. It was enough to shock even me into silence, for there before my eyes stood Snape Manor, tall and proud. In short, it was magnificent. Rather forbidding in a tall, dark, looming way, yet incredible all the same.

We walked on in silence as I slowly took in my surroundings. The path we were on, wound around the meadow, eventually leading up to the Manor. As we approached the house, the path split off and circled an old, gothic looking fountain before leading up to the front doors. The lawn was well tended, and was spotted with shrubbery and clumps of flowers here and there, giving it a rather regal appearance. We made our way up the front steps and I followed my father into the front hall. I must admit, the interior of the house was not what I expected. It was by no means cheerful, but was not as drab and desolate as I had imagined it to be. In fact, it had a certain grandeur which I certainly did not expect from the home of my harsh Potions Master.

The front hall was graced by a large crystal chandelier which was twinkling playfully as the afternoon sunlight glinted off the finely cut shards. As I entered further into the house, the hall widened, and opened up into a grand foyer, tiled with an elegant array of black and white granite. Exactly opposite to the entrance, was a magnificent staircase that led up to a small landing, and split off to either side in a sweeping spiral of exquisite beauty. The stairs were carpeted in a rich green, while the foyer was covered with a large white and green rug. As I took in the beauty around me, I was blissfully ignorant to the amused looks my father and brothers were sending me.

"I take it you like the house huh?" said Aleks with a laugh, "don't worry you get used to it soon enough"

"…what? Oh, right, sorry. Your home is quite impressive Professor" I said trying to preserve what dignity I had left, "it's an incredibly beautiful Manor Sir"

"Thank you Hermione, I'm glad you like it, seeing as you will be spending the next month or so here." My father said with a small chuckle.

Wait, did I just say chuckle?! Since when does professor-I-live-to-torture-hapless-students chuckle? 'Man this summer is getting weirder and weirder by the day' I thought.

"come on, we'll show you to your room and give you the grand tour" said Malik.

So I promptly followed my two brothers up the stairs and to the left. As we walked I could do nothing but stare in awe. The halls were all granite like the front foyer, and had rich, plush, hunter green runners gracing the corridors.

The boys led me past multiple rooms all the while giving me a running commentary, until they finally stopped in front of a three large ebony doors each gilded with a unique silver pattern and a set of runes. The door on the far left had an image of a king cobra, whereas the door on the far right held an image of a black bear. However, it was the centre door that caught my attention, for as we stood before it, delicate wisps of silver ivy started creeping over the once plain wood, forming the image of flowers spattered between ivy leaves. All three doors had an identical set of runes running along the edges, all in the same delicate silver.

"Well, here we are" said Aleksander, "these rooms were made for us when we were born, and each door has a silver pattern to represent the qualities and personality of the person whom it was made for. The patterns change as our personalities change. It adapts to best represent us. The door on the left is Malik's room, and his door has a king Cobra because much like the Cobra, Malik can be terrifying when provoked, but is otherwise a relatively quiet and reclusive person." He explained.

"The door on the right is Aleks' and he has the black bear since he is generally easy to get along with but can be quite dangerous when angered. Similar to the black bear, as they usually don't attack unless provoked or threatened in some way." Said Malik.

"The centre door, leads to your room, and judging by the image that formed, I think we can get a good idea of what you're like" said Aleks.

I shot him a confused look, and Malik clarified what he meant.

"What Aleks is trying to say is that your door is now covered by the image of the beautiful yet poisonous _innocent nightshade_. The ivy is known for being beautiful and elegant with a flower that has an innocent beauty. Yet when threatened, the ivy is one of the most deadly plants as it can strangle a wizard in a matter of minutes, before they even have a chance to defend themselves. It seems that what Aleks means is, that you Hermione, are all that is beautiful and sweet, but are also as dangerous as they come" finished Malik quietly.

"oh…wow. That's quite impressive. Yet I think from what I know of the two of you already, it makes sense and suites each of us perfectly." I said slowly.

It's amazing how something seemingly insignificant can hold such meaning even without words. "what are those runes for?" I asked, "all three of our doors seem to have the same ones, and I don't think I've come across them in class before"

"oh yeah, that's not surprising. Those runes are ancient and powerful, and not commonly known. They are actually quite rarely used even by wizarding standards. They signify protection, love, and peace. They line the edges of each door to protect the owner of each room. Dad said he inscribed them himself soon after we were born, as a measure of safety." Said Aleks.

"they're beautiful" I said softly.

My brothers nodded in silent understanding, and after a moment Malik opened the door to my room and gestured for me to enter. As I stepped into the room I was once again shocked by the sheer elegance of the room. It seems as though the beauty of this Manor knows no bounds. Every room and corridor seems to be graced with a unique beauty.

The room was carpeted in a light cream colour, with large, midnight blue plush rugs placed strategically around to add a feeling of rich elegance. There room was adorned with large windows with long sheer drapes in the same midnight blue as the rugs. Along the far wall was a large four-poster king size bed with a canopy. The curtains on the bed were similar to the curtains covering the windows, but were lighter and had a certain sweeping look to them. The bedding was exquisite as well, with beautiful silver, blue, and black silk sheets, with matching pillows to complete the look. Upon further investigation of the room, I noticed that along one wall, what I thought were just windows, were actually a set of French doors that led out to a large balcony.

As my brothers followed me out, they mentioned that the balcony was shared between all three of our rooms, effectively connecting them together. We walked back into the main room and I began investigating the closet, which to my delight, turned out to be a walk-in, and was already adorned with my belongings. Upon first entering the room I had also managed to overlook the ebony armoire and the matching side tables. All in all the room was near perfection.

"this room is incredible, so, do I get to see your rooms too?" I asked playfully?

"ugh…_fine_" Said Aleks feigning annoyance.

"cool!" I replied grinning.

It turned out that the boys' rooms were in fact identical to mine, with the exception of the colour scheme. Also, as they have been living there all their lives there were pictures and other mementos scattered about. Malik's room was done in typical Slytherin colours, but had a richer look to them. His rooms were mostly done in a rich Hunter green and black, with a tasteful spattering of silver. Aleksander's on the other hand, was oddly a strange mix of both Malik's and my rooms. His room was a tasteful mix of green, blue, black and silver, with hints of grey throughout.

Now that they had shown me my room, my brothers deemed it time to take me on the grand tour of the Manor, and proceeded to drag me around for the next 3 hours. After they had finally shown me around the entire house, we stopped off at the kitchens for bite to eat. Seriously, walking around a house of that size and trying not to get lost is no easy task. My brothers on the other hand claimed to be positively famished from their arduous task of 'teaching me the ways of the manor' as they so eloquently put it.

So this is how our father found us several hours after my initial arrival at the manor, munching away on sandwiches, effectively ruining our appetites for dinner.

"ah…I see you lot have returned from your tour…how do you like the house Hermione?" my father asked kindly (yes, I said kindly…I am beginning to be less shocked about these new revelations as time goes on.) So with a small laugh I replied, "yes, the house, sorry, _Manor_ is positively beautiful. After seeing Hogwarts I never thought I could be so impressed with a building ever again, apparently I was wrong, I love it!"

"I'm glad. Oh and so you know, you hardly need to be worried about any unwanted guests arriving uninvited here. The only people who even know of the existence of this Manor are you three, Albus, and the Zabini family"

"The Zabini's? As in Blaise Zabini?" I asked surprised.

"Yes, did you boys not tell her?" my father asked

"Tell me what?"

"Blaise is your cousin. Your mother was Carlos Zabini's younger sister" my father replied in a nonchalant manner.

"Oh. I see. Do they know about me?" I asked warily.

"Yes, they have been actively assisting me for the past several years in my search for you. I was just there now, to inform them that I found you." He replied, "I've invited them over for lunch tomorrow, I trust that will not be too awkward for you?"

"um not at all, I've never really talked to Blaise, he's always been rather quiet for a Slytherin" I answered carefully remaining neutral.

"good." He said shortly. "now then, did the boys show you the library?"

"What? No! you two showed me every bloody room in this house and _forgot_ to tell me that you had a Library?!" I exclaimed.

"hehe, about that…you see we figured if we showed you the library now, then you'd lock yourself in there and be oblivious to everything else, soooo we decided to tell you later in the week, so that we could be the centre of your attention…we are rather selfish in that way unfortunately." Said Malik with a typical Snape-like smirk

"Gee thanks, I should have known you two would have ulterior motives" I said with a role of my eyes.

"Now, now sister dear, no need to brandish sarcasm. See dad, she's acting like a true Snape already!" said Aleks with a laugh.

"you know, you should be happy that magic isn't allowed outside of school, or I'd hex you both right about now." I threatened playfully.

"hmm true, but seeing as it _is_ illegal, I guess we've got the upper hand now huh? Damn, too bad for you" Aleks replied loftily.

"Alright you three, stop your incessant squabbling and get cleaned up for dinner" my father said with an amused shake of his head.

The rest of the evening passed in a similar manner, with the four of us sitting around the parlour chatting about everything from our hobbies to school. It was during this time that I ended up telling the boys some rather amusing Hogwarts stories, including the one where I set my father's robes on fire. All in all, the first day at Snape Manor was a success.

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_hope you enjoyed it, R&R please! thanks _


	4. More Family!

_Hey, Sorry, this one's kinda short and doesn't have all that much substance, think of it as an intermediate chapter. I know, I know, still no Draco, please be patient! soon(ish) I promise! anyways, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: All JKR except for snape brothers and plot_

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Chapter 4 – More Family?!

The next morning I was rudely awakened when Malik and Aleks decided traipse into my room and fling open the drapes in an attempt to roust me out of bed. I groaned and burrowed deeper under the blankets, only to have said blankets snatched away by my meddlesome siblings.

"alright, alright, I'm up already" I mumbled sleepily.

"and about time too, its ten after nine, and here I would have pegged you as a morning person" said Malik while sending Aleks a sly grin.

"yeah, morning person when I'm in school, not so much during the summer" I stated with a yawn. I sat up, stretched, and looked warily around the room that in my opinion was far too bright, especially for a person who just woke up.

"now that I'm up would you mind closing the drapes? Seriously how do you expect my brain to function when its being doused in that much light!" I said dramatically.

"ah the wonders of life" laughed Aleks, "come on, hurry up and brush your teeth, I'm hungry!"

"typical" I muttered. I quickly went into the bathroom, brushed my teeth and hair (which didn't take very long as it was now devoid of frizz) and emerged to find my brothers exactly as I left them, lounging on my bed in their pyjamas and apparently waiting for me.

"you do realize that I have to change right?" I asked quirking my eyebrow.

"nah, not really, just grab your robe…come on!" Aleks whined.

"Here" said Malik as he threw me the red silk robe that he found draped over the chair.

"Oh alright" I exclaimed putting on the robe. I was wearing black silk pants and a red cotton tank top, so at least my attire wasn't embarrassing per say. That's not to say that my brothers were wearing anything embarrassing either, they both had on black cotton pants and non-descript t-shirts under their robes. And so the three of us made our way downstairs into the kitchen for breakfast.

We entered the kitchen only to find that our father was already at the table, munching away on a muffin while perusing the Daily Prophet. He too was surprisingly casual. I had never seen him in anything other than his billowing black teaching robes, so it came as a bit of a shock to see him sitting at the table wearing black silk pants and a plain, grey cotton t-shirt. His robe was carelessly thrown over the arm of another chair, which he silently removed when he noticed us enter the room.

"morning dad" the boys said in near unison.

"good morning boys, Hermione." He replied with a small smile. "coffee anyone?"

"yes please, all round if you don't mind dad" said Aleks as he reached for a muffin.

While father poured us each a cup of coffee, Malik gestured to the seat between him and our father, indicating that I should take a seat. As I sat down, my father glanced at me and paused a moment before saying, "I trust you slept well Hermione?"

"Yes thank you. Though I was rather unceremoniously awakened by those two" I said with a small grin.

"hmm yes, well, I'm afraid you'll have to get used to that. Once they've chosen a new victim, there's no way of avoiding them." He replied with a chuckle, "I must admit, you are a wonderful distraction. With you here, they have transferred their 'attentions' to you, and thus left me free from hassle"

"typical Slytherin…using me as bait! Honestly with you lot it's always about self-preservation huh?" I grumbled.

And then to my utter shock, professor Snape, git of the dungeons, laughed. I never thought I'd see the day. But there he sat laughing, at me I might add!

"and it is typical of a Gryffindor to take everything personally" he replied with a smirk.

"hey! I resent that!" I said pouting, "besides, that's hardly fair…how can I not take it personally when you abandon me with those two crazy kids over there, with no remorse I might add!"

"yes, I'm a cruel, unforgiving man…leaving you to the mercies of your brothers" he said dramatically, "however will you survive the rest of the month?"

"a valid question…quite painfully I believe" I said as I reached for a muffin.

"you know, you really should be nicer to the brothers whom you have to put up with for the rest of the summer" said Malik with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"don't even think about it" I threatened as I polished off my breakfast. "well, I'm gonna go shower, when are the Zabini's getting here?"

"around noon" my father replied.

* * *

I took a quick shower, and after wrapping myself in a towel, and robe, I proceeded into my walk-in closet. I realized that I didn't know if this lunch was to be a formal affair, and thus hadn't the slightest clue as to what to wear. So I trudged over to Malik's room via the balcony to ask him. As I made my way onto the balcony I suddenly remembered our telepathic connection. I didn't even need to walk over, I could ask both of them in my head. With this revelation, I walked back into my room.

hey guys, what am I supposed to wear, is this formal or what? I asked

kind of. Wear something semi-formal said Aleks

maybe a sundress or something suggested Malik

hmm how 'bout this one? I asked, sending them the mental image of the pale green dress I was looking at.

perfect they said in unison.

thanks guys

So with that decided I headed back into the bathroom to put on the dress. It was a pretty looking pale green sundress that came down to my knees. It had thick straps that pinched together at the tops with white ribbon, and had a matching sash that went around the waist. I was never one for make-up, so merely put on some eyeliner, and some clear lip gloss before re-entering my bedroom. I rummaged around in the closet for a while, and eventually found a pair of cute slipper-like shoes that matched the dress perfectly. They were in the same pale green as the dress, and had small white bows on the tops.

With my outfit complete, I walked over to Malik's room, and plopped myself on his bed as I waited for him to emerge from his dressing room. He walked out wearing a pair of black trousers and a dark green button up shirt. He spared me a quick smile before walking into the bathroom to deal with his hair.

don't be nervous, you're practically drowning us with your emotions quipped Malik

huh? Oh yeah, sorry. I can't help it, I mean I've gone to school with Blaise for the past three years, and well, he's best friends with Malfoy, therefore we hate each other. I thought as I tried to control my emotions.

don't worry they're nice people. We're actually quite close to them. We've literally grown up with Blaise. I'm sure you'll get along fine. Relax he thought back trying to ease my concerns.

As he walked back into the room, Aleks walked in from the balcony wearing a similar outfit to Malik's except he was sporting a blue shirt instead of a green one.

they should be here in a bit, shall we? Aleks asked.

With that, Malik pulled me off the bed, and the boys both linked arms with me, as we made our way down the stairs.

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_Review Please! I love to hear from everyone! Thanks_


	5. Meeting the Zabinis

_Hey all, I've reposted chapter 5 since I noticed a few mistakes...so you know, any conversation occurring telepathically will be indicated with -- rather than quotes._

_example: --blah blah blah-- that kind of thing..._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything _

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Chapter 5 – Meeting the Zabinis

We were met at the landing by our father, who was just coming down as well. He was dressed in his usual black, with the only notable change being that he had his hair tied back at the nape of his neck with a brown leather tie.

"you boys go down to the main sitting room, I need a moment to speak with your sister." He said as we reached the foyer.

"sure thing dad" they replied.

With that, my father gently led me over towards the kitchen. "that dress suits you wonderfully Hermione. How are you feeling? Not too nervous I hope?"

"thank you" I said with a shy smile, "to be honest, I'm actually quite nervous, Blaise and I don't exactly have the best history as I'm sure you know"

"I do know, and I am sorry for that, do you want a calming draught?"

"no thanks sir---I mean…" I stuttered,

He shifted uncomfortably and after a moment said in a soft voice, "you can call me Severus if you want…I hardly expect you to call me 'father'"

"I---I…thank you…" I said hesitatingly…then in a tentative voice I said, "I think, if you don't mind that is, well, I was wondering if it would be alright if I called you 'father'?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I looked down at my feet. I know it's irrational, but I'm afraid that he will be displeased with my request. As if sensing this, he placed his hand under my chin, and gently raised my head so he could see my face.

"don't ever be ashamed or scared to tell me anything Hermione," he said softly, "I would be honoured to have you call me that…I have waited ten long years to hear you say that"

I have never heard so much emotion in his voice before, and his kind, loving words moved me to tears. He gently cupped my face with his hand and brushed my tears away. Then he cautiously drew me into a hug.

It was at that moment that I truly connected with my father, and I held onto him as though he were my lifeline. We stayed like that for a few moments, and then, with a final squeeze, I released him. That moment felt like a milestone in our relationship, for it was then that I finally started to feel the pieces of my life fitting back together.

--you ok?-- asked Malik, concerned. --we just felt a wave of strong emotion coming from you, it nearly knocked the wind out of us--

--yeah, I'm ok. More than ok actually. Sorry about that, I haven't quite got a hold on the whole controlling emotions thing yet--

--no worries, just making sure everything is ok-- said Aleks.

--thanks, well we'll be there in a minute or two-- I replied.

"I suppose we should go make sure those two haven't destroyed the sitting room huh?" I asked wiping away the last of my tears.

"indeed. Besides the Zabini's should be here any minute" he replied, as he gestured for me to precede him into the hall.

We entered the formal sitting room and I took a seat on the couch between my brothers while father took the tall armchair by the fireplace. This room is only used when we're receiving guests, or so I've been told. I can see why, it's awfully formal and lacks the open comfort that most of the other rooms provide.

The room was relatively plain, it had one portrait that graced the far wall, an old oak centre table which was placed on top of a black rug. The floors were hardwood, and the only other furniture was the couch that I was currently sitting on, and two high backed armchairs. The room had a dreary appearance to it, since most of the upholstery was in an old faded green. Unfortunately it is the only room that is connected to the floo, so we had no choice but to receive them there. In short, it was the type of room that I would have typically expected from Professor Snape I thought I knew, not the father that I have gotten to know off late.

After sitting tensely for ten minutes or so, the fire finally flared up, and one by one, the Zabini family stepped out. I was so nervous by that point that I was fidgeting with the hem of my dress. It did not seem to help much that the entire time, my brothers were muttering words of encouragement to me through their minds.

"Maria, Carlos, Blaise, it is good to see you, shall we proceed to the main parlour?" my father asked after he greeted the family.

"yes of course, it's wonderful to see you too Severus" replied Maria.

My father led the three of them out, as me and my brothers brought up the rear. We entered the main parlour, and once everyone was seated, there was a moment of uncomfortable silence. That is there was until Blaise unceremoniously broke it, with his surprised exclamation of, "bloody hell Granger, is that you?"

"Blaise! Where are your manners!" his mother exclaimed. She then proceeded to apologize profusely.

"Mrs. Zabini, it's alright. Really." I said with a small smile. "and yes Blaise it _is_ me, although I'm not exactly a Granger anymore, now am I?"

It was a cheeky thing to say, but I couldn't help it! Honestly it was worth it though, because as soon as the words left my mouth, all he could do was gape at me, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish.

My father cleared his throat and said coolly, "May I present, Hermione Kylana Snape. Hermione, this is your aunt Maria, your uncle Carlos, and you already know your cousin Blaise"

"it's nice to meet you" I said quietly.

"We've been looking for you for a long time, welcome to the family" said Carlos. "you look a lot like your mother, my sister Kara. You certainly have her beauty"

"thank you"

"Now Carlos, don't overwhelm the poor girl. Do you know Blaise from school?" Maria asked.

"yes ma'am." I replied plainly. I hardly wanted to say 'yeah I know your son, I've spent the past 3 years hating him seeing as his best friend is my arch enemy'.

"excellent! So what house are you in? Slytherin?"

"no, actually I'm a Gryffindor ma'am" I replied

"oh…well, I never thought I'd see the day when a _Snape_ is in Gryffindor. Good for you! I was actually a Ravenclaw, and Carlos was a Slytherin. Oh and you hardly need to call me 'ma'am' we are family after all! If you want you may call me Maria"

"thank you ma'am…sorry, Maria"

Blaise was oddly silent throughout the entire exchange. I guess he was shocked to see me as his long lost cousin. Regardless, he was strangely subdued. Soon after, we proceeded onto the patio for a light lunch, and, sensing my discomfort, my brothers placed themselves on either side of me throughout the afternoon.

As we finished lunch, Maria suggested that us four kids head hang out in the 'game room' for a while, so that the three of them can talk things out. No doubt they wanted to know all about me, and how my father found me. I had no problem with that suggestion as it was a chance to get away from the overly formal environment. Personally I loved the game room. It was a room that was on the first floor of the dungeons, but was decorated and furnished comfortably, complete with a wide selection of entertainment devices, including a few muggle ones.

The room had several large, black couches with a wide variety of pillows and blankets strewn over them. The floor was adorned by cream, plush carpet, and had a low table in the centre of the room. Opposite the main couch was a large plasma television encased in a wall unit that was well stocked with DVD's, old videos, and CD's. To top it all off, there was surround sound, a variety of game consoles, a pool table, foosball table, and even a ping pong table. In short, the room was any teenagers' haven.

* * *

As soon as we were dismissed, the four of us scampered off to the game room. Why hang around when we're not needed?

"first one there gets dibs on the game console!" yelled Aleks as he started running towards the dungeons.

"like hell!" I shouted and tore off after him, followed closely by Malik and Blaise. It really wasn't fair, they were wearing pants and proper shoes, whereas _I _was wearing a dress and slippers. I ended up tying with Malik, but managed to redeem myself by claiming the big comfy armchair that the others usually fought over.

"bloody hell Granger, I didn't know you could run like that!" exclaimed Blaise.

"well, there's a lot you don't know about me Zabini." I replied cooly.

--be nice!-- admonished Aleks in my head

--I _am_ being nice. He and I don't exactly get along you know.--

--well you should try, you're cousins now--

--alright alright, I'll try…only if he does too!--

"so Blaise, what've you been up to this summer mate?" asked Malik as they all settled down on the remaining couches.

"not too much, been hanging around the manor with Draco mostly, playing Quidditch, the usual" he replied, "you?"

Malik sent me a sly glance, and replied, "well, the first two weeks we spent with Hermione at her house, then we came back here, hung around, did whatever, and now we've got the rest of the summer with Hermione, she's staying with us till school starts"

"cool"

There was an awkward silence, during which Malik insisted I say something to relieve the tension. I don't see how it became _my_ responsibility to set things straight, but nevertheless, for the sake of my family, I extended an offer of truce to Zabini.

So, with a sigh of defeat, I said, "look, I know we don't exactly have the most cheerful past, but maybe we should start fresh. We are cousins after all."

"uh, yeah, sounds good Granger…I mean…Snape?" he replied unsure.

"ugh, that sounds weird. Snape makes me think of my father…stick to Granger if we're gonna be on a last name basis." I replied with a shudder.

"right. Granger it is then…so…."

"yeah…."

--a little help here would be nice!-- I snapped

"alright, so, do you guys have any classes together?" asked Aleks, breaking the silence.

"a couple" Blaise replied nonchalantly

"Dumbledore seems to enjoy placing Gryffindors with Slytherins for most of our classes. I think he does it with the vain hope of house unity…not that it works." I replied with a role of my eyes.

"aw come on, it can't be _that_ bad" said Aleks with a laugh

"easy for you to say, Mr. I-go-to-Durmstrang" I huffed.

"ah shut up, you love me"

"argh! Me? Never!"

"stuff it! Both of you!" said Malik chucking a pillow at my head.

"hey! That was entirely uncalled for!" I exclaimed, throwing it back.

"oh yeah? Take this!" he yelled, as he lunged at me. I squealed and tried to get out of the chair before he caught me, but failed miserably. He tackled me, and sent both of us toppling over onto the ground, where he then proceeded to tickle me. This did not go over well with me, as I happen to be extremely ticklish, especially at the sides. After watching for a minute, Aleks teamed up with Malik and I ended up getting attacked by him too.

"s-s-st-t-o-op-p-p" I gasped out, "ahhhh! Get off me! Squish-age!!"

"NEVER!! You're going down girl!" yelled Aleks

I managed to wriggle out of their grasp, and bolted for the stairs. I could hear them running after me, as I made it up the stairs and out of the dungeons. They were right behind me, and I squealed as Malik almost caught me, but kept running.

"you can run but you can't hide!" Malik taunted, as he chased me.

"ahh! Only if you catch me first suckers!" I yelled back.

I ran full tilt into the foyer, and just as I was running by the kitchens, the Zabini's and my father came out of the parlour. That small distraction was enough for me to slow down, and my brothers unhesitatingly took advantage of it as they grabbed me.

"ahh! Malik, Aleks! I'm gonna kill you!" I exclaimed, as they attacked me once again.

"you wish sister dear! Told ya you couldn't hide!" said Malik with a smirk. "no one to save you now sucker!"

"DAD! Get them off!" I yelled in a last ditch attempt to win.

Of course, I should have known better than to expect help from a Slytherin, for he merely quirked an eyebrow as he watched our antics.

"alright, alright! I give!! You win, happy?!" I gasped out.

"haha! Brothers: 1 Sister: 0, YES!" exclaimed Aleks giving Malik a high five.

The three of us stood there panting, as the Zabinis eyed us with curiosity. Blaise showed up after a few minutes and shot me a strange look, as though he wasn't sure what to make of me.

"stand up straight, all three of you. Is that any way to behave when we have guests?" our father chided, fighting to hide the smirk twitching on his lips.

"sorry dad" we mumbled in unison as we straightened our posture and made an attempt to appear presentable again.

With that the four of us headed out back to the Quidditch pitch since the boys wanted to play. I adamantly refused, I hardly wanted to fall and break my neck, and my last experience of flying with Buckbeak at the end of the year turned me off Quidditch even more. So I gracefully declined their offer, and took a seat on a nearby bench and settled to watch.

A few hours later, the adults came out back and announced that dinner would be starting soon, and told us to go wash up. Dinner was an interesting event. Most of the tension had eased over the course of the afternoon, but seemed to settle back during the meal. Everyone was unsure of what to say, it was common knowledge by this point that Blaise and I were rivals at school, and that we clearly ran in different circles. After a bit of fumbling and a few ill chosen questions on the Zabinis' part, we settled into a tense silence for the remainder of the meal.

"well, thank you for lunch and dinner Severus. It was nice to meet you Hermione, hopefully we'll see more of you now." Said Maria with a smile.

"it was nice to meet you too Maria" I replied.

As soon as they left I collapsed onto the sofa exhausted, shortly followed by my brothers and father. On the whole, the night was not a total loss, but it was every bit as tense as I had anticipated.

"well, that went relatively well considering" father announced.

"considering what dad?" asked Aleks

"considering that for the past three years Blaise has been rival number two next to Draco for Hermione and her crew of friends" he replied.

"yeah well, I dunno about you all, but I'm beat. If it's all the same to you, I'm gonna head to bed." I said with a tired sigh.

"of course, goodnight Hermione" my father said kindly.

"g'night" the boys said as they waved me out of the room.

So it was with a tired yawn I made my way to my room, changed into my night clothes and slipped under the covers. Unfortunately no matter how tired my body was, my mind was still whirring with the events of that day. As I lay there, all I could do was think that it had been the most awkward afternoon since my father arrived at my house a month ago. I wondered how my mother was doing, she had yet to send me a letter, and how Harry and the Weasleys were. I should have known not to expect the boys to write, but I expected Ginny to have written at least, but I suppose things were busy with them as always. Perhaps I should write to them in the morning. As I decided this, I finally started to feel drowsy, and eventually slipped off to sleep.

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_Thanks for reading, leave a review please!_


	6. Correspondences

_Hey, here's the next installment, hope you enjoy it!_

_ps. telepathic converstions are indicated with -- rather than quotes...example: --blah blah blah-- that kind of thing. ok, i'm gonna stop blabbering now, here ya go!_

_Disclaimer: don't own it  
_

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Chapter 6 - Correspondences

The next morning I was once again woken in the same fashion as the previous day, and as we trudged downstairs into the kitchen, the post came. I was therefore surprised when I received not one but three letters. As Hedwig gracefully swept down and landed next to me, I took the letter and fed her some of my toast. Unfortunately Pig was not quite as graceful as Hedwig and had taken to flying around my head in circles like an overgrown fly. Eventually I managed to retrieve my letters from him as well, and sent the two owls on their way.

"Who are those from?" asked Aleks curiously as Malik shot me a questioning look as well.

"one's from Harry…about time" I mumbled under my breath, "and the other two are from Ron and Ginny Weasley"

They nodded, and went back to their breakfasts as I opened Harry's letter first. It read:

_Hermione!_

_Now I know you're probably annoyed that I haven't sent you a letter earlier, but it wasn't my fault. Honest! The Dursleys barely allowed me to let poor Hedwig out of her cage at all. Well, I figured I'd write and tell you that I'm gonna be going to the Weasleys tomorrow for the rest of the summer. Ron said he'll write to you, so I'll let him give you all the exciting details. So how's your summer been so far? Have you finished reading all your textbooks once or twice already? I'm kidding, hope your having a good time! My summer's been ok, I guess. Actually better than in the past now that they know that Sirius is my Godfather. He says to say 'hi' by the way. Well, I'm sleepy so I'm gonna turn in. Write back soon Mione. _

_All my Love,_

_Harry P._

I smiled as I read his missive, he was right. I _had_ read all of my texts already. Well, at least on the bright side the Dursleys weren't being too horrible now that they know about Sirius. Hmm, I wonder what 'exciting details' Harry was talking about. Oh well, only one way to find out. So I opened Ron's first, since it is likely much shorter than Ginny's.

_Hey Mione,_

_How's your summer been? Don't study too much! You won't believe the news I have to tell you. I dunno how my Dad did it, but you'll never guess what he did. And no, he didn't enchant another car or anything, the last one was bad enough, I think it scarred me for life! Haha, anyways, Dad actually managed to get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup!! Can you believe it Mione?! Well, anyways, you and Harry are invited if you can come, we're going to pick him up tomorrow, and you can come over anytime too, the Championships are next week. But yeah, Owl back if you can make it. _

_Ron_

"oh my…" I muttered out loud.

"is something wrong?" father asked.

"hmm….what? Oh nothing's wrong." I replied distracted as I muttered another 'oh goodness'

"well, are you going to keep muttering or actually tell us Hermione?" asked Malik

"what?" I asked startled out of my reverie. "oh right…um, Ron wrote inviting me to his house later in the week. It seems Mr. Weasley got tickets to the Quidditch World Cup and has invited me and Harry to go with them."

"oh. That's kind of the Weasleys to think of you…would you like to go?" father asked calmly.

"umm…I don't know. I mean, I've barely spent any time with you…and--and--well, I don't know." I stuttered out.

"well, I'm assuming this will be your first World Cup experience, so I think you should go. You can always stay with them and come back here for the last week of vacation." He replied.

"really?" I asked shocked. I hardly expected him to allow me to go, especially since he hates the Weasleys and Harry so much.

"one thing though Hermione." He said all of a sudden very serious, "you must NOT breathe a word about any of this" he said gesturing himself, the boys and the house. "you must remain Hermione Granger, muggle-born witch to the world, for your safety, mine, your brothers, and all of your friends. I would claim you officially in a second if it were not for the danger that surrounds you. I'm sure you of all people know how volatile the situation regarding the Dark Lord is"

"of course, I understand…I'm not even supposed to be a part of Wizarding society…the glamour was supposed to suppress all of my magic right?" I asked quietly.

"yes. Apparently you are more powerful than even the Dark Lord imagined"

"so I can still go?" I asked hopefully.

"of course"

With a squeal of delight, I lunged at him giving him a huge hug and ran off upstairs to find some parchment to write back with. I quickly scratched down a short reply telling Ron I could come, and returned to the kitchen only to have the other three stare at me.

"what?" I asked looking at them with confusion.

"oh nothing" said Aleks as he returned to his breakfast.

--you were only raving like a lunatic-- said Malik with a roll of his eyes

--I was not!-- exclaimed indignantly.

--uh huh-- said Aleks with in a disbelieving tone

--you two are just jealous-- I replied haughtily

--as if!-- they exclaimed in unison

--ha! Told ya!-- I thought back with triumph, a disgruntled 'hmph' was all I got in return from the boys, so, with a shake of my head I finished my breakfast and went to the parlour to read Ginny's letter.

I settled comfortably on the window seat and proceeded to read her letter. A while later, the boys came in, asking if I wanted to go for a swim with them. I agreed and they showed me the way to a small pond that was on the grounds. We whiled away the next few days in a similar manner, getting to know each other better, and just relaxing. Soon it came to the day I was leaving, and as I packed my bag, the boys came in and deposited themselves on my bed.

"well, have fun, I still think you should take us with you" Said Aleks playfully as he was clearly jealous that I got to go to the World Cup and he didn't.

"yeah, we're gonna miss you" Malik agreed quietly.

I paused in my packing and looked at them carefully. I could literally _feel_ their reluctance to let me leave. It was sweet. In the short span of a month and a half, I formed a strong bond with my two brothers, and I suddenly realized that as excited as I was to see Harry and Ron, I was going to miss these boys terribly. Even if it was only for two weeks.

So with a sigh, I walked over to the bed, and crawled up to where they were sitting and said, "I'm gonna miss you too…a lot" then with a hug, I got up and finished my packing.

Now that I was done, I double checked that I had everything, and the three of us made our way down to the 'travel room' as I had taken to calling the sitting room where we received the Zabinis. Father was already waiting for us when we got there, and with a quick hug he stood back and recast the glamour.

It was strange. After spending the last week and a half without the glamour, I felt odd. It didn't feel right, and I could feel my magic being suppressed. I was shocked that I never noticed it before, but when I wasn't under the glamour, I felt free. Now, it was almost as if someone was squeezing all my magic into a tube that was too small to contain it, and it was bursting out. Oddly enough, I could still hear my brothers as clearly as before, apparently the glamour has no effect on our telepathic connection, I vowed to look into it later.

Then, with a final round of hugs, I grabbed a pinch of floo powder and stepped into the fire, spinning away to the Burrow and all the Weasleys that inhabited it.

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_Review Please!! thanks_


	7. The World Cup

_Hey all! __so here's the next chapter,  
_

_**IMPORTANT NOTE! (please read)**  
_

_Alright, so you know, I don't actually own the harry potter books, so some of the details will be...well...non-existant sorry! but its been years since I last read the book and I don't remember all the details and having nothing to reference them with. SO anything that is not stated in this story is assumed to be the same as that which was written in the books(for books 4 and 5 NOT 6). well thats all, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

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Chapter 7 – The World Cup

I tumbled out of the fireplace only to be immediately bombarded by multiple Weasleys. As I disentangled myself from Ron, Ginny, and the twins, I saw Harry standing off to the side. I quickly went over to him and was enveloped in a tight hug. I stepped back and took a good look at him. He seemed relatively healthy, and actually looked well rested oddly enough. He returned the same appraising look I gave him, and seemed satisfied that I too was alright. Harry was the only one who knew that I had a stepfather, and while he did not know of all the problems I had, he knew that I didn't exactly get along with Gary.

"Sooo, tell us about your summer, what've you been up to?" asked Ginny.

"oh not much, the usual…you know me, I spent most of the summer curled up reading" I said with a laugh

"you're crazy! Its summer and you spent it _reading_?!" exclaimed Ron

"yes Ronald, I spent it reading, I know the term is foreign to you and all…it is the act of opening a book…yes a book, and reading(which is looking at words and understanding what they mean) its contents" I explained slowly as if I was talking to a toddler.

"ha ha very funny mione" he replied. He then turned to Harry and started talking about Quidditch, so picked up my bag and followed Ginny upstairs.

--having fun making up stories?-- asked Malik

--shut up, no need to get cheeky with me now-- I replied

--what? Us? Never!-- exclaimed Aleks affronted.

--haha suuure--

"so mione, can you believe it?! We're actually going to _the_ World Cup!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly.

"oh no!" I said with a laugh, "not you too! Ron's corrupted you all!"

"haha yeah it seems that way huh? Come on, let's go see what the boys are up to"

So we trudged down the stairs and spent the rest of the day hanging around and relaxing. I think they noticed I was distracted, and kept asking what was wrong cause I kept zoning out. In all actuality I was trying to keep track of two sets of conversations, the one in my head and the one here at the Burrow, which was harder than I thought it would be. Granted that was because my brothers were being obnoxious, but still! Eventually we decided to head to bed as we would have to be up at the crack of dawn to go to the World Cup.

* * *

The next morning, I was given the task of rousting the boys out of bed, and after much difficulty I managed to get them up and made my way downstairs. Shortly after, the others staggered down still half asleep. We then set out, as we had to walk to where the portkey was. As we approached there were two others who were already there atop the hill. We made our way up and Mr. Weasley introduced us to Amos Diggory and his son Cedric. Cedric was a Hufflepuff a few years older than us, but we barely had a chance to say 'hello' before we were lurched away by the portkey. 

I landed in an undignified heap along with most of the others. I heard a groan coming from my left and noticed that Ron accidentally landed on Harry's arm, and as we sluggishly rose, I finally noticed the incredible sight before my eyes. There were tents everywhere, and the place was positively teeming with people. We bid the Diggorys farewell, and made our way to our tent to get settled in.

The next morning we woke up early and made our way to our seats with only a few mishaps along the way. The game was incredible, even for a non-quidditch obsessed observer (ie. Me). My brothers were insistent that I give them a running commentary on what was going on, which meant that I was basically repeating the commentators' remarks verbatim. It was times like this that I wished there was a magical equivalent of a television. That way they could watch it, allow _me_ to watch _this_ in peace. Alas there is no such thing, and as I have yet to master my telepathy skills, I am left to deal with their incessant voices twittering away in my head.

All in all, the match was brilliant, and we all went back to our tent in various states of giddiness. Seriously, I think if Ron were to die now, he would die as the happiest boy ever. Mind you Harry wasn't much better, he was still marvelling at the tent and all the little gizmos he managed to accumulate. That's not to say that I wasn't impressed too, it's just that I like to think that I was able to contain my excitement better. However, it seems that as always, all good things must come to an end, as that moment there was sudden screaming, and chaos erupted like wildfire.

Before we even had a chance to react, Mr. Weasley came rushing up to us telling us to get back to the portkey immediately and to stick together. Being clueless as we were, it took us a moment to process the information. I felt someone push me and it jolted me into action, as I attempted to stay close to Harry and Ron as we ran.

"RON! Where's Harry?!" I exclaimed frantically. In all the chaos, and running I didn't notice Harry missing until we were almost at the portkey.

"what? I-I-I dunno, I thought he was right behind you!" he stuttered looking around quickly as if to make sure he had not just fallen behind.

"Omg, we have to find him! NOW! What if something happens to him!" I yelled, now very distraught.

--Hermione! Are you ok? What's going on?!-- the boys asked in my mind frantically. I could feel their fear for me mounting on top of my own fear.

--Death Eater attack!-- I yelled back in my mind

--WHAT?! Damn, we'll find dad, hang in there-- Malik said hurriedly.

After a while, the place emptied out, and the Death Eaters were gone, but the damage they did could be seen all around as tents were burnt to the ground, and the place that was only a few hours ago, alive with festivity, was now deserted and destroyed by the rampage of evil wizards.

We were all standing in a small group, huddled together, when we finally decided to split up and search for Harry in groups. Ron and I went one way, running frantically, desperate to find him. If anything happened to Harry…I didn't even want to consider the possibilities, they were too terrible. After another two hours of fruitless searching, I was about ready to tear my hair out with frustration. It was then however, that I saw him…he was lying on the ground in an awkward position, but what really caught my eye was the gleaming of the Dark Mark that hung in the sky to his left.

"HARRY!" I screamed dashing towards him, dragging Ron along with me.

"Hermione?" Harry asked groggily, as he started to get up.

"Oh thank GOD! I thought….I…I…" I stuttered, relieved that he was alive and well.

--everyone's ok, don't worry boys-- I thought re-assuring my family that all was well.

--thank god, come home soon love-- Malik thought back.

--yeah, the sooner Dad sees you with his own eyes the better….us too actually-- Aleks added.

--I'm fine, I promise--

"Kids! Thank goodness…everyone alright?" Mr. Weasley asked as everyone regrouped.

"yeah, I'm fine thank you." Said Harry

"alright, let's get back to the burrow, Molly's going be worried out of her mind" Mr. Weasley said as he herded us back to the portkey.

"some end to the World Cup eh?" I said to Harry and Ron

"yeah…some ending…hey, when I was back there, I saw a man…I couldn't see his face, but I think he's the one who conjured the mark" Harry said in a hushed whisper

"what? Why didn't you say anything harry?" I asked, worried.

"who do ya figure it was?" Ron asked.

"dunno mate…probably one of _his_ followers" Harry replied bitterly.

"well, there's nothing we can do about it now…we just have to be more careful now…this isn't any small thing. These kind of events are bound to have high security, I want to know how the Death Eaters got past the wards in the first place." I said seriously.

"come on, hurry up you three!" Mr. Weasley called.

"we'll talk about it later, come on" I said as I hurried the boys along.

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_kinda short I know, my apologies...leave a review please!! I'd love you forever!! really!_


	8. Alas Summer Ends

_Hey all,_

_So, here's chapter 8 hope ya like it! Big thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, believe me, it makes me happy:D so, hopefully this lives up to the expectations_

_Disclaimer: It's all JKR...unfortunately (sigh)_

ps. sorry if snape is really OOC in this chapter, it was kinda necessary

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Chapter 8 – Alas Summer Ends

We arrived back at the burrow, only to be crushed by Mrs. Weasley as she hugged us all fiercely. Eventually the commotion died down, and since it was a long day, we were quickly ushered off to bed.

--you sure you're ok?-- Aleks asked worriedly

--I'm fine boys, I swear-- I replied

--dad's flipping out ya know--

--oh….well tell him not to worry, I'll be home soon, don't worry, anyways, it's been a long day, I'm kinda tired, I'll talk to you two in the morning alright?--

--alright love, g'night-- Malik said.

--night boys, love you!-- I replied half-asleep already

* * *

The rest of the week was rather subdued in comparison to all the excitement from the World Cup, and before I knew it, I was heading back to the Manor already. We had agreed that I would floo to my old house and meet my father there, so that he could apparate us home.

"well, I'll see you boys on September first, alright?" I said as I hugged the boys.

"alright mione" Harry replied. "and yes I'll let you know if anything comes up"

"good, stay out of trouble you two" I said with a stern look, then I gave Ginny a quick hug and stepped into the fire, spinning off to my house.

* * *

I stumbled out of the fireplace and would have landed flat on my face if it weren't for a pair of strong arms that grabbed me around the middle. I was about to scream when I saw the black robes of the man who caught me. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was just my father and not some random death eater attacking me. Seriously, I think that fiasco with the World Cup made me far more paranoid than normal.

"thank you father" I said as I straightened up and smoothed out my clothing.

"do you make it a habit falling out of fireplaces in such a manner Hermione?" he asked quirking an eyebrow at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him and replied challengingly, "so what if I do?"

To my chagrin all he did was raise his eyebrows at me and calmly pick up my overnight bag as he strode towards the main hall. I grunted in annoyance and followed him in sulky silence as he apparated us back home.

Halfway up the path to the house, he stopped abruptly, and looked at me with an odd expression on his face. He gazed at me with a strange, searching intensity, and as always I was unable to read the emotion on his face or in his eyes.

After a moment he spoke softly saying, "I am a man who rarely shows any emotion openly, and I even more rarely feel true fear. But the instant the boys informed me of the attack at the World Cup, I felt fear greater than I have in a good many years." he paused, collecting himself before saying quietly, "I was terrified that I would lose you…again, even I can only take so much loss Mia"

By the end of his confession, I had a stream of silent tears coursing down my cheeks. Without a further thought I launched myself into his arms and he clutched me to his chest as though he was afraid I would disappear before his very eyes. I think if I were to look back on this moment I would realize that this was yet another important milestone in my relationship with my father, as it was in that moment that I felt safer and more loved than I had ever before in my life. We held each other desperately for a few more minutes before he released me, softly pressing his lips to my temple in an open show of fatherly affection. With that tension finally settled we continued on our way to the Manor in a leisurely manner. Suddenly I remember what he said earlier and tentatively asked,

"you called me 'Mia' earlier, did you always do that? Before I was taken, I mean…"

"yes I did. Forgive me Hermione, a slip of the tongue, it was my pet name for you since you were a baby" he replied quietly.

"oh, it's alright, I don't mind, I actually like it…much better than 'Herms' I assure you" I said with a soft chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

"indeed" He replied with a smirk. Typical that he should find Ronald's 'nickname' for me amusing…honestly, I get no sympathy. We walked the rest of the way to the house in a comfortable silence, which was promptly destroyed the moment I stepped into the front hall.

I had just stepped inside when I was suddenly attacked by two crazed boys, ie. my brothers.

"argh!" I exclaimed as Malik and Aleksander attempted to squeeze me till my eyes popped. Just as suddenly however, they let go, which caused _me_ to lose balance and be caught once again by my father, who was still standing behind me.

"ahem…thank you again father…honestly boys, you hardly need to squish me like that, I'm not a bloody orange that needs to be squeezed" I exclaimed in annoyance, "and don't pout at me like a child Aleks, it's not going to work"

As I said this, I grabbed my bag and proceeded up the stairs to my room to unpack yet again.

--honestly, I've done more packing and unpacking this summer than I have in my entire life!-- I thought exasperatedly

--probably….suck it up buttercup-- replied Malik with a smirk as he walked into my room.

"ah shut it" I said sticking my tongue out at him.

"very mature darling" he said as he wandered off to find Aleks

"hmph" I said, more to myself than him.

The last two weeks of my holidays passed in a similar manner, as the four of us settled into a routine. Three days after my return home, Blaise also rejoined us, and stayed for the rest of the break. He and I had reached a truce of sorts by this point, but had for the most part avoided speaking to each other, and kept the boys present at all times as a sort of buffer. Ironic that the professor I had always loathed (though admired reluctantly) was easier to accept as family than a boy whom I had rarely spoken to. Granted that 90 of the time I had spoken to him, was to hurl an insult, but still! Regardless, we needed to start somewhere, and not speaking was a good enough start in my opinion.

So the break was spent mostly in the Manor with the exception of the day that I went to Diagon Alley to pick up my school things. However all in all, the remainder of my summer was relatively peaceful and relaxing. There were however times I felt vaguely guilty for not missing my mother as much as I should have, and for having to lie to Harry, Ron and Ginny. But time at the Manor seemed to run parallel to the 'outside world' as I had come to dub it. It seemed like we were in our own little world, where we could be a family and it was only on the last day of break that it registered in my mind that I would be leaving my brothers in 24 hours. An oddly scary thought as I have come to feel rather attached to them. Two months is hardly enough time to catch up on nearly ten years of separation from one's true family. However, with the new school year came new doubts, doubts which I hesitantly brought up at dinner that night.

"father?" I said tentatively.

"yes?" he replied giving me a questioning look.

"um…I was wondering, well, what happens when we go back to Hogwarts tomorrow?"

He gave me a weary glance, and with a sigh he set down his fork, preparing for a long talk.

"you cannot go back to school without the glamour…I would like nothing more than to openly claim you Mia, but doing so would not only cause havoc, it would be deadly for you, your brothers, the Zabinis, and me"

"why? What danger?" I asked confused.

"when the glamour was originally cast, it was supposed to suppress _all_ of your magic," he said, then after a short pause continued saying, "technically you should never have shown any signs of magic at all, clearly you are more powerful than even I imagined."

"so you're saying that because I'm magical I'm in danger?"

"no, I am saying that we would ALL be in danger because you are not supposed to exist, the fact that I have found you would mean that I have searched for you and acknowledged you, this would put us all in danger from any remaining death eaters, and from what happened at the World Cup, it is obvious that they are still quite active."

"oh. So I have to go back to being Hermione Jane Granger?" I asked disappointed.

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry Mia, but it is the way things must be for some time"

"it's alright…I understand" I replied dejectedly

"you and Blaise will have to keep up your act, as will we. Understand Mia, I _cannot_ treat you any differently than I have the previous three years. If anything I must appear to be even more cruel to you. I have no wish to hurt you, but I will not be able to show you anything even remotely resembling kindness." He said seriously.

"so I have to go on hating you? And you hating me?" I asked trying to suppress the on-coming tears.

"yes, though perhaps, depending on how things go, we may be able to spend some time together if we can coordinate something discrete with our schedules." He replied trying to compensate.

"that would be nice" I answered quietly.

"good, well, I think you three should head to bed now, all three of you need to be up early to leave for school" he said as he dismissed us for bed.

"alright, good night father" I said giving him a quick hug

"good night Mia, boys" he replied with a shadow of a smile lingering on his lips.

--ya know, ever since you showed up, he's been happier and more relaxed than ever-- Aleks commented

--yeah, he's usually tense and withdrawn, even from us, then again, I think Aleks and I are more relaxed too--

--maybe it's because he finally has _all_ of his children back-- I suggested

--yeah, anyways, I'm glad we found you, no one can complete us like you, curse of the triplets if you will-- Malik replied

--curse? It could be a good thing-- I said

--it is a good thing…mostly. But he says curse, because due to our knowledge of your existence we have always vaguely felt your presence in our minds, yet not _really_ knowing who you were left that awareness to feel like a void of sorts. It's like knowing that something is missing, yet having no way of replacing it…it's hard to explain, but just know that now, we feel truly whole.-- Aleks said seriously.

I sort of understood what they meant, but I suppose I will never truly know how they felt when I was gone. But now that I _am_ here, it is comforting to think that they will always be present in my mind. With a final exchange of 'good nights' we all drifted off to sleep, none of us anxious for the coming dawn that would signify our separation for the next several months.

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_Thanks for reading! REVIEW PLEASE!!  
_


	9. Return to Hogwarts

_Hey, so, after this chapter you're gonna have to wait for a week or two, school's getting busy, my midterm is on friday, so yeah...sorry. anyways, they FINALLY get to Hogwarts here, so enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: It's not mine, so I can't claim it. Darn!_

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Chapter 9 – Return to Hogwarts

The next morning was a relatively quiet affair in the Snape household, for all four of us were subdued at the thought of the long school year ahead of us. It was the first time in my life that I was actually reluctant to return to school. Apparently wonders will never cease. The house was oddly silent as we all ate our breakfasts without the usual early morning chatter. Malik and Aleksander were pushing their food around on their plates not really eating it, and my father decided to forgo breakfast altogether.

After another few minutes of silent moping, I put down my muffin and exclaimed, "is our last morning together honestly going to be spent sulking like little children?"

"well, admit it, it sucks that we're not gonna see each other again until Christmas" replied Aleks with a huff.

"I know it sucks, but it certainly doesn't change anything" I replied with a sigh.

"at least we can still talk telepathically" said Malik trying to ease the tension

"true enough" I said

"well, the three of you can keep in constant correspondence, and you _will_ see each other at Christmas, so it is only a few months." Father said as he put his mug down. "and as for you two, I expect you to behave and attempt to get through the year with as few detentions as possible, I don't want to hear from your headmaster this year"

"yes Dad" they replied in unison

"alright…we should all get going, so hurry up and get your things together" He said getting up.

"well, I guess I'll see you boys in a few months…" I said as we stood in the main hall with all our things.

"yeah…have a good term, we'll talk all the time, I promise" Malik replied with a tight hug.

"the benefits of telepathy, take care love" Aleks said, giving me a hug in turn.

At this point I was nearly in tears, for I knew that I would miss them terribly. Ironic that I would feel so strongly when in reality I had only known them for a mere two months. Perhaps I am being repetitive with that thought, but it never fails to surprise me at how much our relationship has developed in so short a time.

I then turned to my father, and after a moments' hesitation, gave him a tight hug, knowing that I would not be able to do so once I left this house. He returned the embrace with equal vigour, and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead as he pulled away. He then recast the glamour, and I once again became Hermione Jane Granger, muggle-born witch, and a girl with absolutely no relation to any of the Snapes.

* * *

My father apparated us to Kings Cross, and we then went our separate ways. I entered platform 9 ¾ and quickly spotted the mass of red hair that were the Weasleys. As I approached, Harry was the first to notice me, and quickly enveloped me in a warm hug. This was shortly followed by the multitude of other Weasleys, and by the time greetings were exchanged, it was time to head onto the train.

The boys and I quickly found a compartment, and settled down for the long journey to Hogsmeade. The train ride was somewhat uneventful, except for the annual 'greeting' of Malfoy and his Slytherin troop. It was strange to see Blaise so soon, and I mostly ignored him, as we shooed Malfoy away. It seemed that we had formed a tradition of sorts in our yearly visit from Malfoy. However, aside from that the train ride was spent with the boys talking about Quidditch, my harassing Harry to write to Sirius about his dream and the events of the World Cup, and just generally enjoying each others' company.

While the boys were engrossed in the topic of Quidditch, I was left free to gaze out the window and engage in my own conversation with my brothers. Perhaps the year would not be so difficult if I could continue conversing with them like this.

* * *

After a few hours, the train finally pulled into the Hogsmeade station, allowing us the first glimpse of Hogwarts Castle after our two month reprieve. After sending Hagrid our customary greeting, we found a carriage and were soon jolted off in the direction of the Castle and the start of our fourth year.

* * *

The opening feast was the same as always, the first years were sorted, the twins caused trouble, Harry, Ron and I glared at Malfoy, my father glared at _us_ and Dumbledore started his yearly opening speech. However, his speech this year was slightly different, because he announced that this year Hogwarts would be receiving the great honour of hosting the prestigious Triwizard Tournament. The representatives from the other two schools would be arriving in a few days to spend the entire year with us. However, much to the disappointment of many (especially the Weasley twins) it was announced that due to the nature of the tasks, only those 17 years of age and older would be allowed to participate. This restriction swiftly took most of the students out of the running, leaving seventh years and a few sixth years as the only eligible candidates.

--did you two know about the Tournament?-- I asked telepathically

--nope, I can't believe dad didn't tell us-- Aleks replied

_--I_ can't believe this damn age restriction, we don't even get to come to watch!-- Malik said with an annoyed huff.

--well, it's for the best, you know, these tournaments are supposed to be _extremely_ dangerous, but that does suck that you guys don't get to come-- I answered.

--hmph-- was the only reply I got before they settled into a disgruntled silence.

* * *

The next few days passed in a hum of excitement since our guests were due to arrive at the end of the week. The first morning was exciting, because no matter how much fun I had over the summer, I still loved school. Granted the boys (all four of them) thought I was crazy, but hey, they're boys, what else was to be expected? As Professor McGonagall came around with our schedules, Ron groaned loudly.

"what now Ron?" I asked amused that he had found something to complain about already

"take a look at your schedule, as if we really need to start our first day with a 2 hour potions lesson with the greasy git" he replied bitterly

"Ronald Weasley show some respect! He's your professor, you don't have to _like_ him, but you damn well better respect him" I exclaimed angrily

"alright, alright, I'm sorry, geez" he muttered shaking his head.

Harry wisely stayed out of the argument, as did Ginny, but they shared a curious glance at my sudden, harsher-than-normal rebuke. However, for once I was at least partially in agreement with Ron. I had hoped to have a few days to adjust to seeing my father as 'professor Snape' again, apparently I was being awarded no such luxury. So with a sigh I grabbed my bag, hoping to at least show up early so I could say 'hi'.

"well, I'm going to go to class now, don't want to be late for my first lesson! You two should hurry back to Gryffindor Tower and get your bags if you don't want to be late" I chided

"alright Mione, we'll go up in as soon as we finish eating, see you in class!" Harry said obediently.

* * *

I quickly walked to the dungeons, and thankfully avoided any wandering Slytherins. It was the first day back, and I was in a relatively good mood, I wanted that to last at _least_ another half hour.

I arrived at the classroom, only to be faced with a closed door. Unsure of whether to wait outside or knock, I stood hesitatingly outside. After a few minutes I made my decision, if no one was in the room, my father would hardly be angry with me, otherwise, he would send out a fake insult to shoo me away, so really I had nothing to lose. So with that, I gave a short tentative knock.

"enter" came the low, menacing voice of my father.

I entered, quietly, and when I didn't notice anyone else in the room, I closed the door, with a relieved sigh.

"well, what do you want? I hardly have time to deal with idiotic students gawking at me" he growled not looking up from his desk

"oh" I squeaked shocked, feeling hurt tears well in my eyes unbidden, "I didn't mean to disturb you…I'm sorry, I'll just leave" I said quickly as I rushed to the door

"Mia?!" he asked looking up in surprise, "I didn't see it was you Hermione…I'm sorry, if I had known it was you I wouldn't have been so harsh" he said getting up to come around his desk.

I had my back to him, trying in vain to keep my tears in check, but the sound of his harsh unforgiving voice earlier, painfully reminded me of my previous years in his class. I heard him approach me, but I firmly kept my back turned. I would not allow him to see that he had brought me to tears.

"Mia, I apologise, come here child" he said, even as I resolutely shook my head.

Then he crossed the small distance between us, and turned me around, only to see my cheeks stained with a stream of tears, as I sniffled softly.

"don't cry Mia, please! I'm sorry, I should have looked up before I spoke, I did not mean to hurt you" he said softly as he brushed my tears away.

"s'ok" I mumbled as I sniffled.

"here" he said handing me his handkerchief.

"thanks" I replied quietly, as I wiped my face and got control of my feelings.

With a sigh, he pulled me into a short hug, and placed a soft kiss on my forehead as a sign of apology.

"I guess I should get used to you speaking harshly to me again though huh?" I asked with a sad smile

"I'm afraid so…but you will know that I never mean any of it." He replied quietly. "I'm sorry this isn't very much time for you to adjust to our old roles, but it is necessary. Do us both a favour and keep your head down today so that I have little reason to pick on you alright?"

"yeah, good idea" I replied, shaking myself back into a normal frame of mind. "so, what are we doing today?" I asked with a smile as I made my way to sit down in my usual seat.

"that is for you to find out with the rest of your class, patience is a virtue my dear" he said coolly

"I have patience enough, I put up with Harry and Ron don't I?" I countered playfully

"good lord yes, it would take the patience of a saint to deal with those two dunderheads, I stand corrected, you have enough patience in some aspects" he replied amiably

"hey, be nice, they're not that bad…and what do you mean _some aspects_"

"precisely what I said, I did not think it was a difficult statement to comprehend"

"oh fine, have it your way" I conceded.

"of course" he replied with a satisfied smirk, which I replied to with nothing more than a dramatic role of my eyes.

--whatcha up to? Chatting with dad?-- Aleks asked

--yup, waiting for class to start, how bout you two?-- I replied.

--we're ten minutes into History and I swear the two of you are the only reason I'm not asleep yet-- Malik said

--Malik, Aleks! Pay attention! Shoo, quiet!-- I chided bossily

--oh ease up Hermione, it's only the first lesson-- Aleks said

--hush! Listen to your professor! Both of you, first lesson or not, it's still important!-- I replied with a huff.

"I was not under the impression that you spent your time staring blankly off into space, especially on the first day of lessons" my father said suddenly with a curious look on his face.

"oh" I said blushing shyly "I was actually talking to Malik and Aleksander"

"oh? How is their first day going so far?"

"well, apparently quite boring, they're in History right now, so I told them to be quiet and pay attention to their lesson"

"typical, well, tell them not to bother you in class hours, especially during this class"

"good idea, the last thing I want is to melt a cauldron because of their distraction"

"mhmm" he replied as he looked back at the papers on his desk

--you hear that boys? No talking to me in potions, or most other classes, at least until I can master this whole telepathy thing--

--sure thing-- they replied in unison

--good, well, the others are starting to trickle in, so I'll talk to you two at lunch alright?--

--have a good morning, hope dad takes it easy on you-- Malik replied

--yeah, we'll talk to you later-- Aleks added

--alright you two, bye!--

As I finished my conversation with my siblings, the others arrived and Harry and Ron like always showed up seconds before the bell sounded.

"sit down and shut your mouths, all of you!" my father barked as he gracefully rose from his seat.

The class followed in the usual manner, with the exception that I attempted to 'keep my head down' as he had advised earlier. I suppose it worked, for he only directed his attention to me once over the course of the double period. Unfortunately the other Gryffindors were not quite as lucky, but I suppose that was to be expected.

The next surprise for us was DADA with Professor Moody and his rather unorthodox manner of teaching. It was possibly the most frightening lesson I had ever attended including my father's classes, and that's saying something. I did however, feel terribly for Neville, as it was clear that the lesson had deeply troubled him, but alas there was nothing I could do.

The rest of the day passed in the usual manner, and similarly so did the rest of the week, as we all quickly settled back into our usual patterns. Friday however, came with a renewed excitement as the much awaited students would be arriving then. It was with great shock on Friday evening that we learned that not only would we be hosting students from two very upstanding schools, but would also be housing the international Quidditch star Victor Krum. The very Seeker that Ron was enthralled with only a few weeks ago. And so with this last, very interesting turn of events, we turned in, hoping that morning would come soon, and the famed Triwizard Tournament would begin.

* * *

_Review Please! thanks!_


	10. Bulgaria's Star

_Hey all! ok, so here's the next chapter, hope you all like it!_

_Thanks to all my wonderful, dedicated reviewers, I love the feedback, and really appreciate hearing your thoughts on my story. anyways, thanks again, enjoy!  
_

_Disclaimer: I own only the plot and the brothers, nothing else._

* * *

Chapter 10 – Bulgaria's Star

The introduction of the Tournament was a great source of excitement for the students but a major headache for the teachers, as it was clear that until the Champions were chosen, no one would be able to focus. My brothers were terribly jealous and were constantly asking me random questions about the Tournament, knowing that I had read up on it as soon as I found out. It was only two weeks into the year, and already I was more stressed than I was last year. Only this time, it was more of the guilty, emotional stress than anything relating to my studies. It was hard trying to find time to see my father, but I made a habit of going to Potions class really early so that I could at least get a few minutes to say 'hi'. Thankfully due to my reputation as class nerd, it wasn't surprising that I would turn up to class 15 minutes early. What _was_ more difficult was explaining to my friends why I would suddenly zone out during conversations. I couldn't very well say 'oh sorry, I wasn't paying attention cause I was talking to my twin brothers telepathically…oh did I mention I found out I was Snape's daughter?' But aside from that, the year looked promising, not to mention full of excitement.

* * *

"Hey Mione, where're ya going?" Ron asked as I was about to walk out of the common room.

"to the library" I called back

"right, have fun!"

"see ya" I said, finally getting out of the crowded room. I took up a leisurely pace as I made my way to my sanctuary, ie. the library. Unfortunately my good mood was ruined soon after I left Gryffindor tower.

"well, well, well, if it isn't our resident know-it-all mudblood, what even your precious Gryffindors got sick of you and kicked you out?" Malfoy sneered

"hardly Malfoy, Gryffindors, unlike Slytherins, are loyal and don't let themselves be ruled by silly prejudices" I replied coolly. Apparently my father has been rubbing off on me.

"I always knew Gryffindors were stupid, you just proved it"

"well, stupidity should be determined by the wise, and you Malfoy, are as far from wise as a person could get, so you calling Gryffindors stupid really doesn't mean much" I responded as I pushed passed him and continued to the library. I looked over my shoulder before I turned the corner and nearly burst out laughing, for there was Malfoy, red faced and sputtering with rage.

Haha, Hermione: 1 Malfoy: 0

I entered the library in a cheerful frame of mind, and made my way to my usual spot in the far corner. It was always my favourite study spot, since it was out of view, secluded and therefore the quietest part of the library. I sat down and pulled out my notes, intent on spending a few quality hours with my studies. This plan did not seem to work out very well though, for not 20 minutes after I sat down, a large shadow loomed over me. I looked up expecting it to be Harry or Ron begging for help with homework, but was instead shocked to see the one and only Victor Krum standing in front of me.

"um, hi, can I help you?" I asked politely

"vould you mind if I sat with you?" he asked shyly.

"not at all, please…" I said gesturing to the seat in front of me, "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way" I said holding my hand out for him to shake.

"a pleasure to meet you, Hermy-own-ninnie" he said shaking my hand.

"no, no…it's Her-my-own-knee" I corrected, sounding my name out phonetically.

"Hermy-own-knee" he said back.

"almost, Her-My-Own-Knee" I said with a smile

"sorry, Herm-me-no-ninnie?" he tried again, flushing with embarrassment.

"why don't we stick to Mione huh?" I asked since it was clear he wouldn't be able to say my name properly any time soon.

"Mione" he stated satisfied.

"right!"

"I'm sorry, you have a beautiful name, but I find it difficult to pronounce" he apologised gracefully.

"don't worry about it, at least you tried, besides, 'Mione' works just fine"

"you are not like the others" he stated casually after a while.

"what others?" I asked curiously.

He paused for a moment and glanced over his shoulder at the gaggle of girls giggling and staring at him from behind the bookshelf.

"them" he said pointing to the girls.

"oh" I said blushing as I understood his meaning, "no I don't suppose I am like them. You may be a Quidditch star, but aside from that, you're just like everybody else" I said practically

"yes. Unfortunately not everyone thinks as you do"

"no I guess not huh?" I said with a laugh.

"I did not mean to disturb you from your studies, it vas nice to meet you, I think when I leave, you'll have your quiet corner back" he said with a chuckle as he rose to leave.

"that's alright, it was nice meeting you too. I'll see you around"

With that, he left, and I found myself strangely distracted. He was rather nice, and oddly shy. I suppose that I didn't expect that of him, seeing as he was a famous Quidditch star and all, but he seemed nice enough. In the end I packed up my books, since it was clear that I wouldn't be getting anything done, but opted to go for a walk rather than return to Gryffindor Tower.

As much as I loved the boys, I wasn't in the mood to listen to anymore Quidditch talk, and since I didn't feel inclined to study either, it left me with very few options to pass my time.

So I left the library, and as I was about to pass the dungeons, a sudden thought occurred to me. Technically it was my father's office hours, but it was common knowledge that not even the Slytherins dared to harass him with inane questions. With this satisfying knowledge, I made my way down to his office, hoping he would have a few minutes to spare with his daughter.

* * *

I knocked on his office door, bracing myself for a scathing comment, until he noticed it was me. I made the mistake of letting his ignorant words hurt me once, I wasn't eager to make the same mistake again.

"enter" he growled.

I walked in, shutting the door, as soon as I was sure there was no one else present in the room. He looked up, an insult on his lips, until he saw that it was just me. He muttered a quick 'silencio' before he greeted me with a pleased, "hello Mia, what brings you here?"

"nothing much, are you busy?" I asked not wanting to bother him.

"not at all. Just marking some first year essays, believe me, any distraction from those are completely welcome" he said getting up. He paused for a moment as though contemplating a thought, and upon reaching his decision he briskly said "come with me" as he walked through his office door towards the far wall.

"um…where?" I asked confused.

"you'll see" he stated ambiguously as he made a series of tapping motions at the plain brick wall. Then with a muttered spell a door appeared. He pushed it open, and indicated for me to enter the room.

I gave him an odd look, but did as I was told, and walked into a large, cozy looking sitting room. It had thick, plush black carpeting, presumably to keep the chill out, and was furnished in comfortable black couches, and two wing-backed chairs. There was a mahogany coffee table in front of one of the couches, leaving the area before the fireplace clear. However, it was the large bookshelves that stretched over the walls that caught my eye.

"I thought we might be more comfortable in my private chambers rather than my office" My father said watching me take in the details of the room.

"oh, yes, thanks…your rooms are very nice" I said, still ogling the bookshelves.

"thank you. You know, if you ask nicely I might let you borrow one of those" he said nodding towards the shelves.

"what? Oh!" I said blushing "really? I mean, you would let me borrow one?" I asked hopefully.

"perhaps" he said sending me an indulgent smile, "go ahead and take a look, the dangerous ones are in my study, so there isn't anything there that should be problematic, I'll just make us some tea, shall I?"

"sure…goodness, I know I shouldn't be so shocked, I _have_ seen the family library, but still!" I said excitedly trailing my fingertips across the spines of the books. "do you do a lot of your own research when you're not teaching?" I asked curiously, accepting a cup of tea from him.

"I try to…whenever I have time. The last few years have been easier for me to conduct research, since the boys are older." He responded thoughtfully. "I have been mainly working on an improvement of the Wolfsbane potion for the last few years, but I've had a few other projects in between."

"really?" I asked interestedly, "have you made any progress?"

"some, but not nearly enough…and you Mia? How do you spend your free time?"

"well, when I'm here at Hogwarts, I study, read, or hang out in the common room with Harry and Ron, or we like to walk around the lake and just be in each others' company…at home, I mostly like to relax and catch up on my light reading, or go for bike rides, the usual sort of teenager stuff I guess" I said trying to think of what all I do when I'm not studying.

"are you _ever_ without Potter and Weasley in your free time?" he asked quirking an eyebrow

"yes!" I replied indignantly, "they never come to the library with me…unless I nag them into it that is…"

"indeed."

"well, they're my best friends, what'd you expect?"

"mhmm, well, I don't think I will ever understand why you are friends with them, so I will let it go for now…" he said before he proceeded to tell me about his potions research. We chatted for another hour, before I realised that it was almost time for dinner, and that the boys would be looking for me soon.

"thanks for taking the time to talk, it was nice" I said as I stood to leave

"I should be thanking _you_ for coming to see me, I had no expectations when I learned of your identity." He said sincerely, "the boys aren't annoying you too much are they?"

"naw, not yet" I said with a laugh, "I still haven't got all this telepathy stuff all figured out yet"

"hmm, it will come in time" he said with a sigh, "but you ought to run along before your little friends decide to go looking for you"

"yeah, thanks again father" I said, and then, just as I was about to walk out of his office, I turned and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, before rushing out the door, and back to Gryffindor Tower.

I don't know what prompted me into doing that, but it seemed right. I hoped he wouldn't be upset, I didn't think he would, but I wasn't sure…He could be so strange about certain things, but I _am_ his daughter…so I supposed he wouldn't object.

Nevertheless, I controlled my emotions quickly, for I was assaulted by a barrage of questions the second I stepped through the portrait.

"where were you Mione?" asked Ron

"you know, you shouldn't study so much" Harry said

"oh ease off, leave her be" Ginny said swatting Ron as she passed, "come on, we were just about to head to dinner"

"alright, I'll just put my bag away, give me a minute okay?" I said making my way up to the girls staircase.

"sure" Harry replied.

I dropped my bag off, and with that, we made our way down to the Great Hall. Dinner passed normally, and when I was sure no one was looking, I sent a quick shy smile up at my father, and received a nearly imperceptible nod in return. At least I knew he wasn't angry. When Ron finally finished eating, we traipsed off back to the common room, and spent the rest of the evening talking, and gossiping about who would be chosen as the 'Champions'. Eventually we went to bed, knowing that the next day would bring about the verdict and the end to all of our speculations.

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_Thanks for reading! Review Please:D_


	11. Foul Play?

_Hey everyone, so ya, I now have a beta so hopefully there will be fewer gramatical errors and things like that. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! _

_Disclaimer: property of JKR except for the Snape brothers and of course the plot_

* * *

Chapter 11 – Foul Play?

Finally the day of choosing the Champions had arrived. It was with great excitement that we all entered the Great Hall for breakfast, and even Ron was eager for the meal to be over. However, little did we know that the day was going to be wrought with worry and drama. The whole choosing ceremony was rather elaborate, what with the Goblet of Fire spitting out the names and all, but it was certainly exciting. The first Champion to be chosen, was from Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons. It turned out that the Durmstrang Champion was none other than Victor Krum. This news came as less of a shock to the students, but seemed to hype his image even more. Nevertheless, I was happy for him, since he seemed like a very pleasant sort of man. Lastly, the Champion for Hogwarts was chosen to Cedric Diggory. The handsome and mild Hufflepuff prefect was a wonderful person to represent our school in such a prestigious tournament.

Yet, just as the excitement started to die down, the Cup started up again, spewing its' vibrant blue flames erratically. Then much to everyone's surprise (Dumbledore included) another parchment was spit out.

"Harry Potter" Dumbledore's quiet voice rang out glaringly in the stunned silence of the Great Hall.

Silence.

"Harry Potter, come forward" Professor Dumbledore intoned again, a little more forcefully this time.

"Harry, GO!" I whispered urgently from beside him. "come on Harry" I repeated pushing him to stand up.

He looked at me, and then at Professor Dumbledore. Bewildered, he made his way to the back chamber to accompany the other Champions. Suddenly, as if a damn had been broken, gossiping whispers broke out amongst the students from all three schools.

'attention-seeking git, he must have tricked it somehow'

'I always knew he was trouble'

'bet he wants all the fame and glory to himself'

'spoilt brat'

I heard the various tidbits of what everyone was saying, but nothing registered in my mind. All I could think of was how on earth such a thing had happened. I knew for a fact that Harry did not put his name into the Goblet himself, if not for the logical reasoning that he _couldn't_ than for the fact that he would have had little inclination to. My mind was whirring with the possibilities, and the implications of what had just happened.

* * *

That evening, dinner was strained. Ron was being a prat and was refusing to speak to Harry because he thought that Harry actually put his name in the Goblet without telling him. He refused to listen to Harry and insisted that Harry was a 'glory hog'. This left me in an awkward situation, because for once it was Ron and Harry fighting, rather than _me_ and Ron. So I was left to try to pacify each party. This constant tension left me in a rather vile mood, more so than normal, and I decided that the best course of action would be to leave them to sort it out themselves and take up residence in the library.

As I took to spending more and more time in the library, I also noticed the increased frequency of Victor's visits. It seemed that nearly half the time I was in there, he was too. Often times simply gracing me with his company as we read/studied, and other times, engaging me in pleasant conversation. I quickly became accustomed to his near constant presence, and felt myself becoming drawn to him more as time went on, and soon realized this was because of my growing attraction to him. In my defence, he was actually quite handsome, charming, and surprisingly intelligent, though most did not give him credit for being so. I also took advantage of the boys' fight by sneaking off to visit my father periodically and spending time in the library chatting with my brothers under the pretence of studying.

* * *

The first task was drawing near, and the entire school was up in a flurry of excitement, nerves, and apprehension. I tried to split my time between Harry and Ron as best I could, but they were both being so stubborn about the situation, it was driving me up the wall! It definitely didn't help that there were now all those ridiculous badges pinned to everyone's robes. Seriously, didn't Harry have enough to worry about, without having to deal with the badges _and_ Ron's ego? Apparently not. Regardless, I was in a foul mood when I returned to the common room coming from the infirmary. Honestly, I knew my father had to keep up his act, but did he have to be so damn cruel about it?

'I see no difference'

His words ringing mockingly in my mind. I know he didn't mean it, but still! Plus, it was totally Malfoy's fault! 'stupid git' I thought angrily.

--care to share love?-- Malik asked

--oh nothing much, just got my teeth hexed by idiot Malfoy, and taunted about it by dad, I'm having a _great_ day-- I responded sarcastically

--ouch, ok ok, what did I do to you?--

--nothing, Malik, nothing. I'm just having a bad day, alright? I'll talk to you later--

--alright, that's fine. Hope your day gets better--

--not bloody likely-- I muttered, before I felt him draw away.

* * *

The next day brought about another source of tension, and it came in the ugly form of Rita Skeeter. The article she published about Harry was complete and utter rubbish. It made my blood boil at the mere thought of all the horrid things she had said, especially because it didn't hold even an ounce of truth. The rest of the week passed in a similar manner; studying, appeasing Harry and Ron, and very carefully avoiding my father. It was silly, but I was still rather hurt by his comment about my teeth, regardless of whether or not it was sincere. Either way my schedule afforded so he had hardly any opportunity to see me in private let alone apologize for his comments. Then before I knew it, the first task was upon us. When Harry first told me that the task was to battle a dragon, I nearly fainted. I had no clue what he was going to do, but took solace in the fact that Moody seemed to have taken him under his wing.

The day of the task left me in a fit of uncontrollable nerves, which the boys complained about constantly, since I was apparently bombarding them with too many strong emotions. This however, led to me yelling at them that it was because one of my best friends was about to fight a dragon and may very well get himself killed in the process. Needless to say, they shut their mouths after my little tirade.

However, it seemed that I did indeed worry too much, as Harry managed wonderfully, and finished in first place, tied with Victor. I was immensely happy for both of them, and was delirious with relief when the task was finally over. Harry of course, complained that I was smothering him, and Ron finally got it into his thick head that Harry really didn't choose to enter. So on the whole it turned out to be a good day. With Harry and Ron talking again, things were back on track, and the uneasiness of the last few weeks dissolved. This did not however, rectify the problem I had with my father, but I felt myself to be too angry to face him just yet, and decided to wait for a while longer and let my temper cool.

* * *

By Friday my luck had finally run out. I was on my way to the library after potions class, when my father swooped down on me unexpectedly, informing me that my presence was required in his office immediately. He said this in the middle of the corridor, so I really had no choice but to follow him, 'sneaky git' I thought ungratefully. But hey, he _had_ insulted me in a rather mean way earlier, or at least that's what I told myself to justify my thoughts.

Upon entering his office he proceeded straight to his rooms, expecting me to follow. When I walked in, he immediately took my book bag from me, and gently pushed into the couch, dragging the table closer so that he could sit in front of me on it.

"I'm sorry Mia" he said bluntly as he took my hands into his own. "I know my comment about your teeth was hurtful to you, but it was necessary for me to seem cruel and unfair towards you. Personally I think your teeth are just fine as they are"

"that's only cause I got them fixed by Madam Pomfrey" I said in a half whine-half accusation.

"well they were fine even before the incident" he replied with a soft chuckle "I don't want you to be cross with me, I only did what I had to, and I couldn't apologies earlier since you were so carefully avoiding me"

"I was not!" I said sounding more like a petulant 5 year old than a fourth year, "not _all_ the time anyways"

"indeed, do you forgive me?"

"I dunno…maybe" I replied

"don't get cheeky with me now witch, if you keep that up I won't let you borrow that text you were ogling the other day"

"gasp! Deprive me of your books? Really dad, that's not very nice…besides if anything you should be loaning me _two_ books to make up for the hexing incident" I said not really realizing that I had slipped and called him 'dad'

"hmm, alright, but only because I regret that my comments hurt you so" he responded seemingly not noticing my slip.

"well, I _did_ tell the boys I'd show up for dinner since I forgot yesterday, so I suppose I ought to get going"

"alright child, run along now" he said with an small, indulgent smile on his lips. This time _he_ surprised _me_ by kissing my forehead on my way out.

It was a nice surprise mind you. It had been so long since I had felt the love of a father. The man I thought to be my father had passed away when I was so young, that my times with him now seemed like a distant memory, almost a dream. It is a miracle and a blessing that I have another chance to have wonderful father, and this time, he really _is_ my father. After Gary came into my mothers' and consequently _my_ life, I had always felt like the unwanted, regrettable reminder of my mothers' past. Never really fitting in with the new family she seemed to have with Gary. I suppose it didn't help that Gary and I hated each other, but still! Anyways, it was nice to feel that kind of unconditional paternal love again.

* * *

The end of November passed in a relatively uneventful manner, and with the start of December, everyone's thoughts seemed magnetically drawn to the upcoming Christmas Holidays and the joys of winter. It was with great pleasure that most looked upon the month of December, for nearly everything was wonderful, with Christmas fast approaching, and the unparalleled beauty of the first snowfall, everyone was in a festive mood. This blissful gaiety was only going to be added to in the following days, and this was noted, when one day we were surprisingly called down to have a House meeting. This was unusual and fuelled countless rumours and speculation as to its cause. It turned out that the Triwizard Tournament had a tradition of holding a Yule Ball, and hence we all were required to learn to dance. Now, I may not be _the_ most typical girl, but hey, even I'm allowed to get excited about a dance! This got me thinking about the itsy bitsy problem called getting a date….grr. ah well, there was nothing I could do about it, so I don't see why I should worry about it, someone's bound to ask me. I hope anyways!

--oy! Boys, did you know there's going to be a Ball?-- I asked,

--Ball?! As in a dance?-- Aleks asked

--no you dolt, I meant an actual ball…of _course_ I meant a dance…prat!--

--haha! Ah man, you had that one coming to ya! And no we didn't know that there would be a Ball, why do you ask?-- Malik asked

--hey! That was uncalled for!-- Aleks complained.

--ah suck it up Aleks, and I asked because I just found out that there's going to be a Yule Ball after the first task of the Tournament-- I replied coolly.

--oh, cool, wait…does this mean you need a date?!-- Malik asked getting overprotective suddenly.

--um…yeah--

--WHAT?!-- they yelled in unison

I twitched visibly at their emphatic exclamation. Causing Harry and Ron to look at me funny.

"you ok Mione?" Ron asked,

"huh? Oh yeah fine, I…um…I accidentally bit my tongue…no worries" I lied as I continued to pretend to read, absently flipping the page of my novel.

"oh ok, if you say so"

--what is wrong with you two! Don't yell like that! Honestly, now my friends think I'm crazy--

--what do you mean what's wrong with us?! You are NOT going on a date with some random guy-- Malik stated determinedly

--I second that-- Aleks agreed

--excuse me? Since when do you two get to dictate my life? No, I_ will_ get a date, and it's not like I'm getting taken advantage of or anything, really boys, cool off--

--hah! Just wait till dad finds out, the poor sucker's gonna be done for!-- Malik laughed.

--argh! No, he _can't_ flip out on whatever guy takes me to the Ball because here, he is just my professor, actually the professor who _hates_ me. So no, he can't do a damn thing. So too bad for all three of you!-- I said with an air of finality.

--fine, whatever, we'll see, you don't have a date yet, so there's nothing to worry about yet.-- Aleks said diplomatically.

We then proceeded to chat about random things till eventually I got tired, and bid my friends and brothers goodnight.

--g'night boys--

--night love-- Malik and Aleks said together

With that I slipped away into the blissful world of dreams, not knowing that the following day would bring many surprises, good and bad.

* * *

_Thanks for reading, REVIEW PLEASE!!! really, it makes me happy:D  
_


	12. The Snape Men Are Crazy

_Hey all, sorry for the wait, anyways hope you enjoy:D_

_Disclaimer: I own only the plot and the Snape brothers_

* * *

Chapter 12 – The Snape Men Are Crazy

The next morning was thankfully a Saturday, and this meant that I could happily spend my hours ensconced in the library and lose myself in the wonderful world of books. I spent 3 hours studying in the morning, and decided that I would go outside to the courtyard to read for a little while. Just as I was leaving the library, Victor came up to me, and asked if I wanted to go for a walk with him. I agreed immediately, and when we came to an empty corridor near the dungeons, he stopped suddenly.

"what's up Victor?" I asked curious as to why he stopped so suddenly

"I was vondering…" he started, then paused…taking a deep breath, he finished his question saying, "vould you do me the honour of allowing me to escort you to the Yule Ball?"

I was shocked. That was possibly the _last_ thing I had ever expected him to say. My complete and utter shock was the reason why I continued to stare at him like an idiot, and I was only shaken from this state when he shifted uncomfortably and asked me again.

"what? Oh, Victor, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to act so silly, I would _love_ to accompany you to the Ball!" I exclaimed happily.

"Really? Thank you!" he said smiling, then in a most gentlemanly, he took my hand and kissed it. At that moment I felt like one of those silly girls in all the stories.

"I should be thanking _you_ Victor" I said amiably, as I reached out to hug him. Suddenly out of nowhere a voice startled us.

"and what exactly is going on here?" came the cold, sneering voice of my father.

I froze. He sounded very _very_ angry.

"well…don't just stand there gawking?" he said as he drew himself up to his full height, and towered over us in a menacing way. "get out of my sight Krum, Miss Granger, you will accompany me to my office NOW!" he barked.

All I could think was 'oh shitshitshitshitshit….omg my father is going to _KILL_ me! Victor too! crapcrapcrapcrapcrap'

I sent Victor a hesitant smile as he turned to leave, and then scurried after my father who was already walking away towards his office. I nearly had to run to keep up with him, and when we got to his office, he threw the door open, and stormed in. He then went on to open the door to his private chambers and indicated for me to enter before him. I hesitantly walked in.

Seriously, anyone in their right mind would be terrified. I mean over the last few years I've seen him really mad before, last year for example, the whole Shrieking Shack fiasco and all, but man, that seemed like _nothing_ compared to the look he was giving me now!

"Sit" he growled as we entered his sitting room. So, I promptly sat down on the couch, dropping my book bag next to my seat.

"Hermione Kylana Snape, what in the name of Merlin do you think you are doing?" he said looming over me.

"um….what do you mean?" I asked tentatively, while simultaneously sending out a desperate plea for help.

--OMG GUYS SAVE ME!-- I yelled mentally

--Christ woman, are you trying to give us mental damage? Stop yelling-- Malik exclaimed annoyed.

--yeah, besides what are we saving you from?-- Aleks added

--I think dad might just kill me! Crapcrapcrap, he is SOOO pissed, like seriously you should see his face, oh damn, I am soooo screwed-- I rambled

--uh, ok. Why?-- Aleks asked confused.

--no time, can't explain, omg!!--

"what do I mean?!" My father thundered angrily "I mean, what in the hell do you think you are doing with the likes of Krum!"

"um…he asked me to the Yule Ball? And I said yes" I said carefully, waiting for him to blow up

"you did what?!" He purred menacingly. I mean I have to admit, I prefer him yelling, when his voice gets all quiet, it's a sure sign that he is beyond livid.

--oh dear I thought not good, not good, not good…at this rate I'll be grounded till I'm thirty! Heck, sixty! I gibbered mentally. right, think of something good to say, yes good plan Hermione...think…think…think…hmm….got it!--

"well, he's nice. He's charming, and well, he's been a perfect gentleman. I don't see why you're getting so upset" I said standing up so that he wasn't looming over me quite as much.

--yes, be confident-- I encouraged myself mentally.

"oh really? You realize that he is a Durmstrang student?" he ground out angrily

"um…yeah…So?" I said confused about what his point was. If I was brave enough I might have ventured to say 'point being' but that would likely do more harm than good, and I didn't fancy myself seeing an early deathbed.

"no. Absolutely. Not. I forbid you to go with him" he said stalking over to the cabinet, to get a glass of water.

"WHAT?" I shouted outraged, "you can't do that! What do you mean you _forbid_ me to go with him!" I exclaimed. Now _I_ was the angry one, oh how the tables have turned.

"just what I said Hermione. Forbidden. Surely that word is in your vocabulary?" he stated coolly.

"you can't forbid me from going with him! That's not even _close_ to fair! You don't even have a valid reason for saying something like that!" I yelled, fuming at such an unfair statement

"one, he is a Durmstrang student, in other words, no good for you. Two, he is far too old for you. Three, he just isn't good enough for you. Therefore I said no."

"what?! That is the most ridiculous set of reasons I have _ever heard_! One, so what if he's a Durmstrang student?! The boys go to Durmstrang for crying out loud! Second, he's only 3 years older than me. And Thirdly, what do you mean he's 'not good enough'?! you're my father, you probably won't think _anyone_ is _ever_ going to be good enough. So that point just doesn't count" I ranted.

"you are right on one of those points. _No one_ will ever be good enough for you. I will not have you gallivanting around with the likes of Victor Krum." He stated firmly

"that's not fair dad! Just because you don't seem to like him, for no particular reason I might add, doesn't mean I can't like him!"

"that is beside the point"

"no really, that is the point. I like him dad. He's kind, charming, intelligent, and he likes me. You know, most people don't like me cause I study too much, or they think I'm too uptight, but Victor doesn't think that. And he likes me because I don't see him as Victor Krum the Quidditch star, I see him as just Victor." I said with a slightly pleading tone.

My father sighed and sat down on the couch that I had recently vacated. So I took this as a sign to continue, and sat next to him, turning so that I could see his face.

"please, let me go with him daddy?" I pouted, putting on my best puppy dog face.

He looked at me with a slightly defeated expression. And after a few moments sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in an exasperated manner. I continued to give him my 'take pity on me' look, hoping he would eventually cave.

"it's really not fair for you to use that expression on me Mia…." He said. Then he looked down his nose at me, studying me carefully. "I'll tell you what, I will think about it…and I will tell you my decision in a few days. Alright?"

"but da-ad!" I whined

"Take what you can get Mia, that is my last offer, otherwise I will forbid you from attending the Ball _at all_" he said sternly

"oh _fine_" I sulked, leaning my head against his shoulder dejectedly.

"good." He replied patting me on the head like a little child. "now be a good girl and run along. Oh and if anyone asks, I wanted to discuss your essay with you."

"hmm? Oh ok. Yeah" I replied getting up. He rose to see me to the door, and with that, I left the dungeons with mixed feelings. Part of me was happy that he was considering letting me go with Victor, but the other part of me was so very frustrated that he got so angry at all. I mean really, I'm not a child. I can very well decide who I want to go to the Ball with on my own.

--still alive there darlin'?-- Aleks asked

--hmph-- I replied annoyed.

--haha that bad huh?-- Malik responded laughing at my expense.

--oh shut it!--

--alright, alright, so why was dad so pissed anyways?-- Aleks asked curiously.

--hmm? Oh because he happened to catch me giving Victor a hug after he asked me to the Ball-- I said calmly

--WHAT?!-- they exclaimed in unison

--ouch! Geez, honestly you two, what have I told you about doing that!--

--right, sorry. What?!-- Malik exclaimed again, except more quietly this time.

--oh honestly. Victor Krum asked me to accompany him to the Yule Ball. He's quite the gentleman actually. And I accepted, so I gave him a hug, except dad just _happened_ to walk up at that moment and decided to have a hissy fit-- I explained

--no shit Sherlock! Krum?! He's like 3 years older than you! No. you _cannot_ go to the Ball with him-- Malik said emphatically

--I second that, are you out of your mind?-- Aleks added.

--what? No! besides, it's not up to you two _or_ dad who I do or don't go to the Ball with. Honestly what is it with you lot, Dad pretty much said the same thing-- I exclaimed exasperated.

--the hell it isn't-- Malik exclaimed

--yeah, honestly, he's a Durmstrang!-- Aleks said stating the obvious.

--so what? What's everyone's obsession with the fact that he's from Durmstrang?! Honestly, _you two_ are from Durmstrang-- I said annoyed at the double standard.

--that's entirely beside the point. Well, what did Dad say?-- Malik asked

--he said he'd think about it--

--hmph-- was the only reply I got from my brothers

--what? What's that supposed to mean?-- I asked annoyed with their childish behaviour

--it mean nothing. Let's just drop this subject shall we? Let us know what dad says eh?-- Aleks said swiftly changing the subject. I swear, I think that boy should become a diplomat, he always manages to bring us back to neutral ground.

--fine, whatever, anyways, I'm about to head into the common room, so I'll talk to you boys later-- I said

--sure, later love-- Aleks replied while Malik just grunted. Apparently he was still angry. Seriously what is it with the Snape men? I think they're all crazy!

With that I evaded Ron and his pleas for help with homework, side-stepped Harry, and turned in for an early night. The fight with my dad and the long conversation with my brothers in addition to my encounter with Victor tired me out, and also took up most of the day. So with a tired sigh, I drifted off to sleep hoping that my father would agree to let me go to the Ball with Victor.

* * *

_Thanks for reading, review please!_


	13. The Yule Ball

_Hey all, _

_So exams are coming up really soon in less than a month for me, so I will probably only be able to get 1 more chapter up at most, then you're gonna have to wait till September cause I'm going on vacation. Sorry! anyways, its kinda short, thanks to my beta Severus Hatake-Hyuga and all my wonderful reviewers, I'm really appreciating the input and encouragement:D_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the Snape brothers_

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Chapter 13 – The Yule Ball

The rest of the week passed in a flutter of anxiety. I couldn't stop worrying about what my father's decision was going to be with regards to Victor and the Ball. On top of that, I was wondering what on earth I was going to tell Victor if my father stood by his decision and said no. I had no idea how I could possibly retract my answer, that is, how I could without seeming like the bitch from hell. I was literally going mad with the uncertainty of the entire situation. This is why I went down to confront my father, because I literally couldn't take the suspense anymore.

I was admitted into his office, and upon ascertaining that we were indeed alone, I turned on the 'daddy's little girl' act hoping to coerce him into letting me go to the Ball.

"have you decided yet dad?" I asked looking hopeful

"hmm? About what Mia?" he asked as he continued with his marking

"DAD! You know what! About the ball, you know, my date with Victor?!" I responded in exasperation

"alright alright, calm down, and mind your tone young lady"

"sorry dad" I mumbled looking down at my feet.

"sit down Mia" he said pointing to the chair in front of his desk, then with a sigh he continued, "just how keen are you on this Durmstrang boy?"

"um….I like him…I dunno, I guess I just like being around him, besides what's so bad about him being from Durmstrang, it can't be horrible, or else Malik and Aleks wouldn't go there"

"The school itself is not 'horrible' as you put it Mia." He paused as if collecting his thoughts , then continued, "Durmstrang is known for their…tolerance, if you will, of the Dark Arts. Their High Master himself is an ex-death eater. The boys go there, because it is safer for them to be farther away from me and England. And the 'big deal' is that you are perceived to be a muggle-born, and are going on a date with a pureblood from a school notorious for their intolerance of muggles. Can you see why I would be worried?"

"oh…" I replied surprised. "well, I suppose, when you put it like that…but I dunno, I never get that kind of vibe from Victor, he's not like that" I insisted

"and how would you know, you've only known him for a few months Hermione"

"yes, but he hasn't shown any sign of prejudice to me or anyone else…besides can you really imagine _me_ having any tolerance for that kind of prejudice, after _everything_ that prat Malfoy puts me and my friends through?" I asked incredulously

"true, though he may not show that he holds such prejudices…Hermione, as your father I _will_ think about these things, and they are legitimate concerns, you may not be aware of what can happen, but believe me I am. This boy, Krum, he may appear to be just a Quidditch Star, but not anyone gets into Durmstrang, he is just as cunning as a Slytherin, and I don't know the boy, how can I be certain he is not a danger to you?"

"I guess you have to trust my judgement….besides, it's just a Ball dad…everyone is going to be in the Great Hall, _including you_"

He sighed, "you really want to go with him?"

I simply nodded, hoping against hope that he was saying that I could go.

"there's nothing I can say to change your mind then? Short of forbidding you to go to the Ball?"

"nope"

Then with a pause and a strained sigh, he stood up saying, "alright, you may go with Krum-"

"Oh thank you! Thank you thank you thank you! You're the best dad ever!" I exclaimed excitedly, interrupting him as I rushed over and gave him a huge hug.

He seemed shocked by my reaction, but after a moment, collected himself and slowly brought his arms around me, holding me close. We simply stood there for a moment, with me wrapped tightly in his arms. When we pulled apart, it got awkward fast. He seemed embarrassed, and this made _me_ embarrassed for letting my emotions rule me.

"Now, I will allow this…_ but_ I warn you Hermione, I _will_ be watching, and mark my words, if he is anything less than a _**perfect**_ gentleman I will personally tear him to shreds…_without magic!_" He said looking down his nose at me.

I cringed at his tone, but replied with a sugary sweet, "whatever you say daddy" and promptly grabbed my bag and hurried off, before he could change his mind. I saw him shake his head in exasperation as I walked out.

'well' I thought, 'one down, two to go, well at least the most problematic one is convinced'

So with that, I set about to convince my dearest brothers that I would not be molested by Victor at the Yule Ball. The conversation was long, and full of a hell of a lot more shouting than my encounter with my father had been. This however, did not end on as good of a note as my conversation with my father had, in fact, it ended with the two of them giving me the silent treatment.

* * *

This immature, and childish behaviour certainly didn't dampen my excitement, and after a few days of their sulking, I gave up, and reached out to them again.

--done sulking yet boys?-- I asked

--hmph-- was Malik's reply

--not quite-- came Aleks' petulant whine.

--oh honestly, grow up…dad is going to be there to watch our every move, and besides, _he_ agreed, so what possible objection could you two have?--

_--fine_ but I still don't like it-- Aleks said

--what do you mean 'fine'?-- Malik asked annoyed, --it is so not fine…how can dad let this go on?!--

--oh get over it Malik…seriously, I'm sick of all this bickering, just let it go already-- I said

--whatever, I still don't like it…and I really can't believe dad is ok with this-- he replied arrogantly.

--well, darling, you don't have to like it, but you sure as hell are gonna live with it-- I said with an air of finality.

--fine--

So with that last argument out of the way, I was left to continue making my alterations to my gown. I literally couldn't wait till the ball.

However, it was just typical that on top of all the anxiety I had been feeling lately, I had to deal with Ron's perpetual idiocy. The prat had the nerve to suggest that I was incapable of finding a date! Honestly that boy's ego knows no bounds! And to top it off, Harry seemed to be taking the silent, yet still supporting Ronald, position. 'as usual' I thought bitterly to myself. Well, at least _I_ already had a date, unlike them.

* * *

The Ball was on Christmas day, and the Great Hall looked beautiful. The entire evening felt enchanted. The best part of the night definitely had to be the instant everyone (including Harry and Ron) recognized me on Victor's arm. Now, I'm not one to be shallow or vain, but it gave me the most ridiculous feeling of satisfaction to see their shocked (and in Ron's case, appalled) faces. The night passed wonderfully, after the first hour or two, my father stopped glaring at us so much, but continued to watch us covertly. Victor was wonderful, and the night would have been perfect if it hadn't been for Ronald's egotistical, selfish behaviour. We ended the night with a positively spectacular argument stemming from the fact that he was too pig-headed to ask me to the Ball first. I had collapsed in tears of frustration, anger, and hurt on the stairs when my father found me. The corridors were deserted, and the few who were still up were still in the Great Hall. It was with this assertion that my father calmly picked me up, and walked into one of the abandoned classrooms. He transfigured a desk into a couch, and gingerly set me upon it.

"care to tell me what happened? I know it wasn't Krum, so tell me, what happened to bring you to tears like this?" he asked in a deceptively calm tone.

"nothing dad, don't worry, just Ron being a prat is all" I explained in between my sobs

"hmm…indeed…hush child it's alright" he soothed gathering me into his arms as I continued to cry.

It felt as though all the stress from before the Ball, and all of the tension between me and my friends had finally accumulated to a breaking point. So I gave up trying to control it, and let my inhibitions go, and cried myself hoarse in the comfort of my father's arms.

What neither my father, nor I noticed however, was the silent shadow that crept back into the Great Hall after witnessing our little father-daughter moment.

* * *

The rest of the holidays passed in calm peace. I was still quite put out with Ron, but I knew that holding a grudge would do no good, especially with Ronald. Therefore our days off were blissfully fight-free. I was on good terms with everyone (except for Ron), and Malik and Aleks were talking to me normally again (thankfully, really it's not fun when their mad at me!). However, much to everyone's dismay classes began once again, and all the previous tension and stress returned in full force. It didn't help that Harry still couldn't figure out the clue from the egg yet, although he certainly was being persistent. Nevertheless, term two seemed to hold great promise for more dangerous tasks, and countless worries.

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_Thanks for reading, Review please!! really, it'd make me happy:D_


	14. The Final Tasks

**_IMPORTANT NOTE (IE please read it! tedious I know, but relavent to the story this time!)  
_**

_ok so before I get a barrage of questions about inconsistancies...I want to clarify some things. Some of what is written MIGHT differ from the events in GOF. there are some things that i may have either overlooked or cut out, not for lack of importance but honestly cause I don't remember, I do NOT own the novel, and have not read it in several years, so this is written based on memory...so, I'm SORRY if it's not quite accurate!_

_Alrighty, that's all, oh and I was originally going to wait until september to put up this chapter, but changed my mind...I leave for Peru on Saturday!! eek! so yeah i'll be gone till 1st week of september...so you guys have a loooong wait coming up...also, this is NOT the end...chapter 15 is half-done. anyways, I'll shut up now so you can get to the chapter:D enjoy!_

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Chapter 14 – The Final Tasks

The days after the holidays seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, it was the day before the second task. The days between the start of the term and the task were relatively uneventful, with the exception of the rather curious discovery of Crouch Jr. showing up on the Marauder's Map. However, with all the excitement surrounding the Tournament, we had little time to look into the matter seriously.

I had pestered Harry about solving the riddle from the egg for weeks, actually about a month, and though we had collectively figured out what was required for the task, we still had no solution to the little problematic detail of how Harry was going to breathe underwater for an hour. However before this problem could be solved, Ron and I were summoned to the Headmaster's office.

"what do ya think Dumbledore wants?" Ron asked as we approached the gargoyle.

"_professor_ Dumbledore" I corrected primly "and I don't know Ronald, but I don't know what is so important as to take us away from Harry right now" I continued in a worried tone.

"yeah…"

We were soon standing in front of the Headmaster's office, and upon knocking, were quickly ushered into the room. As we entered I immediately noticed that we were not the only ones present, and that Gabrielle Delacour, Cho Chang, Professor McGonagall and my father were standing in front of the Headmaster as well. I resisted the urge to so much as look at my father, for I knew that if I did, I could only look at him with malice. The next hour was spent explaining our roles in the second task, and we were each taken to a separate room to have the spell cast upon us. The four of us were split between our two professors, and my father chose to be the one to place the spell on me. He led me to one of the beds, drew the curtains and surreptitiously cast a silencing charm so as to avoid eavesdropping.

"are you alright Mia?" He asked eyeing me with concern.

"um…yeah…fine dad. Just a bit nervous, not to mention worried for Harry" I replied fidgeting with the bedsheets.

"alright. The spell will just put you into a deep sleep." He said reassuringly, "and don't worry, I'm sure Potter will be able to conjure another miraculous victory" he added sarcastically

"dad. Be nice! Are you sure this is safe?" I asked worried.

"of course, do you really think I would allow you to be subjected to something I believe to be dangerous?" he asked arching an eyebrow at me.

I spared him a weak smile, "of course not"

"ok. Close your eyes sweetheart, I'll be right here." He said softly. The next thing I knew I was asleep, completely unaware of anything else.

* * *

Severus's POV

I cast the spell, inwardly worrying myself into a fit. She was my only daughter. So many years of searching, after finally finding her, if anything happened, I would kill Dumbledore myself. 'The old fool damn well better be sure about this' I thought viciously.

Then I did something completely out of character, I leant over and kissed her forehead, tenderly stroking her errant curls as I sat beside her on the bed. Then after a few moments, and a silent prayer to whatever deities reigned, I removed myself from her presence, snapping my 'cold heartless bastard' mask back on with a practiced ease.

The entire task proceeded far too slowly for my taste. I could not put my mind to rest until I saw her safely back ashore, alive and well. The moment I saw that dunderhead Krum bring her to shore, I sagged with barely restrained relief. For once I was glad that the burly Quidditch star was so attached to my daughter, for it was he who returned her to safety. The rest of the task held little concern to me, for my sole purpose for attending was to ensure my child's safety.

"oh thank goodness" cried Minerva when Hermione was brought to shore

I forced myself to make a scathing, 'Snape-worthy' remark, "what, afraid your precious prodigy would drown?"

"Severus! How could you say such a thing, she's your student too!"

"how kind of you to remind me madam, I was so very unclear about that fact before" I replied sarcastically

"hmph" was my only reply. I smirked having won yet another argument with the stern witch, not that it was hard to do. However, whatever pleasure I usually felt from such exchanges was dimmed with the nagging worry that would not abate until I had personally assured myself of Hermione's wellbeing.

* * *

Hermione's POV

It was three days after the second task and thankfully a Friday. Potions was just finishing when my father demanded I remain back to 'discuss my last assignment'.

"don't worry guys, I'll meet you in the Great Hall for dinner" I told Harry and Ron

"are you sure? We can wait for you" said Harry

"no it's fine, go on now" I insisted. When they finally left, I packed up my bag and stood waiting for my father to say why he wanted to see me. As soon as he was sure everyone was gone, he beckoned me forward, so I was standing right in front of him. He looked me over with a speculative glance, and proceeded to interrogate me.

"how are you feeling Mia? Any after effects from the spell? Are you experiencing any sleep difficulty, appetite loss, stiff bones? Any strange symptoms?" he fired off in quick succession.

"nope" I replied slightly perplexed

"nothing at all?" he probed

"no dad, nothing. Should I be?" I asked

"no. just making sure. You are certain that everything is normal?"

"_yes_ dad. Really, why are you worrying so much!" I exclaimed, slightly annoyed with the barrage of questions.

"watch your tone young lady. And I ask because it was a strong spell, you are my only daughter, and as such I am allowed to feel anxious about your health" he replied stiffly

I rolled my eyes in exasperation, really, it wasn't like I was under the spell for _all_ that long! Anyways, I decided to humour him, and subjected myself to numerous medical spells to convince him of my health. When he was finally satisfied, he sent me off to dinner.

I emerged from his office and was halfway up the corridor when I ran into my oh-so-favourite Slytherin, Draco Malfoy.

"well well well, what have we here, a mudblood wandering the dungeon corridors? What's wrong, get lost?" he sneered malevolently

"hardly Malfoy, now get out of my way" I replied, already annoyed from my meeting with my father.

"no, I don't think I will." He said arrogantly "besides, in case you haven't noticed beaver-face, you're on _my_ turf now"

"well, _ferret_, I don't really care, I could still hex you six ways to Sunday before you could say Quidditch, so _don't_ try my patience" I threatened

"ooh I'm terrified" he sneered slowly pulling out his wand

"you should be" I taunted back preparing myself for the hex that would undoubtedly be flung at me in a few moments.

"why you little…." He started as he threw a jelly-legs jinx at me. I neatly sidestepped it, and threw back a body-bind curse. Unfortunately, he too deftly avoided my curse.

"oh please, like a Gryffindork like _you_ could beat me" he gloated

"yeah? You'd be surprised Malfoy…relashio!" I yelled, followed shortly by another body-bind curse.

Malfoy hit the floor with a satisfying 'thud'. I smirked, as I went over to evaluate my handiwork.

"so Malfoy, what was that you were saying about a Gryffindor besting you?" I taunted smugly.

"watch your back Granger! Don't think I'll let you get away with this!" he snarled as I walked away. "my father will hear about this!" he yelled in outrage

"oh yes run off to daddy dearest Malfoy" I said as I turned the corner, "oh and do get comfortable, the spell won't wear off for another ten minutes" I yelled over my shoulder.

I made my way to the Great Hall in an excellent mood, and took great pleasure in relating my encounter to the boys (all four of them, my brothers too!). This successfully drew their attention away from my little meeting with my father, and thus served two purposes admirably. The night wore on in a peaceful manner especially after my mini-victory with Malfoy.

* * *

The days following the encounter were amusing. Every time he saw me, Malfoy would sneer as though I were the foulest thing he had ever laid eyes on, basically trying to intimidate me since he lost our duel so spectacularly. Other than that, time simply flew by. After that ridiculous article in the Prophet about my supposed love life, I also had to deal with vast amounts of hate-mail, coming from both Victor's and Harry's numerous fans. If it wasn't so annoying and possibly hazardous, I would have thought it quite amusing. Granted if it was happening to anyone other than _me_ it would have been funny, but as it _was_ happening to me, I found the amusement factor was decidedly short-lived. This was just one more thing I could tack onto my mental 'reasons I hate Rita Skeeter' list. The list was getting to be rather impressive. The months drifted by at an alarming pace, between studying, meeting with my father discretely, and helping Harry prepare for the final task, life was pretty busy. In between all this, I somehow managed to get time to spend with Victor, which was a relief, as it was nice to spend time with someone who was not begging me for help with homework. The past months were also blissfully Malfoy free, I suppose he got the hint after our last little 'duel'.

Yet sooner than I had hoped, the third and final task was before us. I was in a fit of nerves, almost worse than Harry, which led my brothers to constantly tell me to either shut up or calm down, neither of which worked. This task was supposed to be the hardest, and it terrified me that my best friend was going into it without the benefits of age, maturity, and knowledge that the other three champions had. The task was long, and strange for the onlookers. Fleur and Victor were forced to forfeit, and soon only Harry and Cedric were left.

* * *

The end of the task was not the happy occasion it should have been, but was instead a horrific end to an otherwise pleasant year. The site of Harry appearing with a dead Cedric clutched to him is not one that I am likely to forget in the near future. I could do nothing but stare, and selfishly be thankful that Harry had emerged alive. I was in such a state of shock and disbelief that I hardly noticed anything around me, and could do no more than stare and try desperately to comprehend what had just occurred. I listlessly made my way to the common room, and when Harry finally returned I could do no more than hold him in a tight embrace, hoping to convey the depth of my emotions. I was further shocked when Harry related to myself and Ron the particulars of what happened during the task and afterwards in Professor Moody's (aka. Barty Crouch Jr.) office. At the end of his tale we lapsed into an eerie silence, filled with pain, confusion, and selfish relief. At that moment I suddenly realized the true implications of what had occurred that night. If Voldemort had returned that could only mean one thing for me and my family, fear. _His_ return would undoubtedly result in my father being forced to resume his duties as a spy, and this meant that his life was once again in jeopardy. Every moment and every second from this day onwards till Voldemort's defeat, would place my father in grave peril, and _this_ was a thought that was truly frightening to me, more so than anything that had occurred today.

I soon related all relevant information back to my brothers, and they were rightfully shocked and appalled. It was blessed relief to know that summer was fast approaching, for it seemed far too long since I had seen my brothers. The last days of school passed without the usual foray of excitement, for the entire school was still in a state of mourning, as even the Slytherins could not deny that a good soul had been unjustly taken. And so came the end to an eventful year, as all were waiting anxiously to return to their families, and leave behind the memories of the tragic events of the Triwizard Tournament.

* * *

_Yay!! 4th year is finally over, so for the sake of my story pretend Harry didn't spend the night in the hospital wing, okay? thanks:D alrighty, I know, I still haven't told you who the 'shadow' is yet, but you'll find out eventually...anyways, till september!!_

_ HUGE THANKS TO ALL MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS!!! (I'd name names, but I don't wanna leave anyone out!)_

_ Thanks for reading, leave a review please:D  
_


	15. Home at Last

_Hey all! _

_I'm back!! had an awesome trip to Peru, and I got back about a week ago. Thanks for being patient, and before I get yelled at...I know this chapter is short, but its another transition-chapter, plus I've hit a bit of a wall with how I want to approach the summer months. Not to worry, I'm not giving up, just a little bit stuck is all. _

_IMPORTANT!  
before I get any flack about being slow in my updates, I'd like to remind you all, I'm a full-time University student, and am therefore very busy. I write only when I have time(which is not very often unfortunately, especially with a 3 hour saturday lab...need I say more?) and will try to update as fast as possible...but please understand that postings **will** be more infrequent, and I will do my best to continue this story in a satisfactory manner. that being said, I will NOT abandon this story, but I only ask for your patience. Thanks!_

_Sincerely, DeceptiveFates_

_Ok, on with the chappie, enjoy!  
_

* * *

Chapter 15 – Home At Last

The plans for summer had been discussed briefly over the last month or so before exams. It turned out that due to the fact that my mother had only just opened her practice, she could not come back to England to see me. I had a strong feeling that Gary did little to help alleviate the strain, and encouraged her to remain in the States, however there was little I could say in the matter. In addition to this, I was unable to travel _there_ as it would be too dangerous. As one of Harry's best friends I was required to stay in the relative safety of England. This left me with only one option, to stay with my father and brothers. To say I was ecstatic would be a gross understatement…I was excited beyond belief, and in a rather selfish way, glad that my mother found herself in a tough situation. I did not mean to be cruel or unfeeling, I will always love my mother, she raised me, and well…she's my mom. But I knew that to be separated from the boys would be too much.

I longed to see them desperately, and the thought of spending all summer with them was enough to make me giddy with anticipation. So it was decided that I would go 'home' on the Hogwarts Express like normal, and instead of meeting my mother like I usually do, I was to go to the coffee shop on the corner where I would meet my father.

The train ride to back was uneventful. Most years the train ride home would pass too quickly, for none of us was eager to leave our friends. This year however, it seemed like the ride was abnormally long, perhaps because of my anxiousness to see the boys again. When we finally pulled into the station, I made Harry and Ron promise to write, and then hurried off, claiming to 'have to meet my mother'. I grabbed my trunk and Crookshanks as I carefully left the station and made my way to the coffee shop as planned. I arrived rather awkwardly, as I was lugging my trunk and a rather annoyed Crooks without the aid of magic. I looked around for my father, and spotted him in the farthest, shadiest corner of the shop. 'typical' I thought, mentally rolling my eyes.

"hey" I said brightly as I approached him, "mind giving me a hand?"

"Mia" he acknowledged with a short nod, "of course, how was the train ride?"

"good, very long, I think I was too anxious to be home, but fun as always" I replied

"alright then, shall we? The longer we delay, the more annoyed your brothers will be"

"right" I said with a grin, "and when Malik and Aleks are annoyed, all hell breaks loose huh?"

"indeed, here give me your trunk"

"thanks"

He discretely put a charm on my trunk to make it weightless, as we exited the shop via the back. He gestured for me to stay close to him as we turned down a seedy looking alley. It seemed that because of all my luggage apparating would be difficult, so instead we were to portkey, not that I preferred this mode of transportation any more. I landed in a distinctly ungraceful heap at my father's feet on the lane leading to the Manor.

I shot him a weak smile as he helped me up.

"must you fall over everything? You fall out of fireplaces and now you can't even keep to your feet after a portkey? Tsk tsk my dear" My father chided good-naturedly

"oh ha ha, very funny dad, honestly is it my fault the things are so bloody finicky?"

"indeed, shall we?"

"yeah, sure. So how did the boys get here?" I asked curiously

"they arrive at the harbour by boat, then they portkey here."

"oh"

We went the rest of the way to the house in a pleasant silence. The walk was pleasant, over the last summer I had come to love the grounds for their natural beauty and peaceful silence. The sight of the Manor took my breath away, it never failed to surprise me how beautiful it was. Upon entering the main hall I heard the boys running, and braced myself for a crushing hug. As if anticipating this, father stood behind me, to stop me from the fall that would undoubtedly follow from the boys' attack.

"hello boys, yes I know, I missed you too" I said with a laugh as they latched onto me

"hey you, come on, we'll help take your things up" Malik said with a smile

"thanks"

"alright you lot, dinner's at six don't be late" father called out as we went upstairs

"yeah yeah" Aleks replied for us all.

* * *

"So, how was your year?" I asked brightly as we all settled on my bed. 

"alright, nothing exciting, nothing like your year" Aleks said, "come on, you gotta tell us all about your year, the tournament, the tasks…everything"

"oh…uh yeah…um the first task was exciting, with all the dragons, um…second one was underwater, I was put under a spell and held underwater, so I guess I was sorta part of that task…and well you know what happened in the third task" I summarized quickly…it still felt so awkward talking about the tournament. I may not have known Cedric very well, but he was still someone I _knew_, someone whom I had even sat with in the library while studying. And the thought that it could have been Harry, still shook me to the core. It was clear to me that the events of the past year would haunt me for some time, as the implications of said events range far and wide.

"oh…you ok?" Malik asked awkwardly

"uh…..yeah, I mean, it's just, I _knew_ Cedric, I've studied with him in the library, ya know? It's like it still hasn't registered that he's actually _dead_, and top that off with knowing that Harry was there, and that it could've been him….it's just going to take some time is all" I explained shyly

"I'm sorry, for what it's worth, is Potter ok?" Aleks asked

"yeah, I suppose, freaked out, worried, feeling guilty even though it wasn't his fault, but overall I think he'll be ok" I replied thoughtfully

"oh…well, good I guess" Malik said after a pause.

"let's talk about something else please" I said desperate to change the subject from such morbid topics.

"sure, soooo you ready for a kick-ass summer?" Aleks asked

"heck yes!" I replied enthusiastically

"agreed, but we should probably head down to dinner and wait till _tomorrow_ to get on dad's bad side" Malik said getting up.

"hmm, good plan" Aleks agreed also getting up.

"well, you two can get on dad's 'bad side' tomorrow, but I think I'll _stay_ on his good side thanks" I replied sarcastically

"uh huh, you say this now sister dear" Aleks countered cockily

"we'll see…come on, I'm hungry" I replied elusively.

* * *

Dinner was an amusing affair, we were all in relatively high spirits, mostly just because we were all happy to be home and together as a family. Father was in a surprisingly good mood, and the boys were…well, themselves. All in all, the night was a success, and we all went to bed in a happy frame of mind, ready for the first day of holidays to begin. I had yet to speak with my father and brothers about my summer plans, but decided to leave the serious and likely depressing topics for the morning, opting to enjoy my first night home instead.

* * *

_Well, thanks for reading!! leave a review please:D_

_ Oh and BIG thanks to my awesome Beta, and to all my wonderful reviewers!!  
_


	16. Summertime Begins

_Hey all,_

SOOOOOOO sorry about the ridiculously long wait. School is just crazy busy, I've had midterms every week since the end of September, and Finals are approaching a tad too quickly...AND on top of that, I've had some major writers block. I seemed to hit a wall partway through this chapter, but I managed to finish it. I know its kinda short, but now you know why. Thanks so much for your patience, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you too much (I'm not very happy with it myself).

Anyways, does anyone have any suggestions of what the triplets and blaise can do over the summer? I want Hermione and Blaise to get over their problems this summer and am in need of some creative pranks, and silly mischief that the four can get into...all suggestions are welcome! Thanks

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot

* * *

Chapter 16 – Summertime begins

I awoke late the next morning as the light filtered into my room from the French doors leading to the balcony. In my tired state, I must have forgotten to pull the hangings closed around my bed, hence the bright rays of light that seemed to be stabbing me in the eye. Yes, that's right, I said stabbing…the second I opened my eyes, the bright light of the morning shone straight into my face, startling me from the pleasant darkness that I had previously been bathed in. With a sigh, I got up, realizing that I would have no chance of getting any more sleep with the sun so bright. This turned out to be a good decision on my part, for no more than 5 minutes later, the Malik showed up, presumably to harass me awake.

"Oh you're up! Excellent…you coming down to breakfast?" Malik asked

"Morning, yeah, I'll be down in ten" I replied tiredly

With that he left, and I quickly made my way through my morning routine. After my shower I quickly dressed into a pair of khaki capris and a black t-shirt before making my way downstairs. Thankfully my father removed the glamour last night, so I was happy not to have to deal with my usual bushy mane of hair.

I walked into the kitchen to see the boys and father calmly sitting at the table. It was such a normal, domestic sight that for an instant I wondered what Harry and Ron would think if they saw the 'dungeon bat' sitting so casually reading the morning paper in a t-shirt and slacks.

"Good Morning boys, dad" I said as I took a seat next to my father.

"Ah, how kind of you to join us…" Father drawled giving me a side-long glance.

--Seriously, the one day I decide to sleep in, and I get flack for it!-- I thought as I narrowed my eyes and glared at him.

--Heh, are you surprised? Besides we need to do _something_ to kill time, and annoying our dear little sister is always a good pass time!-- Aleks said giving me an impish grin.

--Isn't it a little early to be annoying me already?-- I asked desperately

--Aww, she's so naïve-- Malik said with an exaggerated sigh

--I know…cute isn't it?-- Aleks replied

--Very…poor thing, she's in for one helluva summer-- Malik said seriously before snickering amusedly out loud.

"Hey geniuses, I'm still here ya know!" I stated rather pointedly

Father quirked an eyebrow at my sudden, seemingly random declaration.

"What?" I huffed annoyed "they were making fun of me!"

"Indeed, I'm sure they were dear" He replied

"It's true! Seriously…_anyways_ what's the plan for today?" I asked swiftly changing the subject.

"Nothing in particular, I have some things to do this afternoon, you three however, can do as you please…as long as you don't leave the grounds. Especially you Mia." He said seriously

"Uh, yeah, sure…oh um, I was wondering, at some point we're going to need to talk about what's going to happen for this summer….I'm going to be expected to go to Headquarters or the Burrow sometime, and I can't exactly turn them down…it would be odd." I said hesitantly

"Yes, I suppose you must, hmm?" Father replied with a dejected sigh. "Alright, when exactly are you expected there? We can suite our plans around that."

"Surely not till _at least_ the first week of August" I answered earnestly.

"I see…I will most likely be in and out of Headquarters for much of the summer, I will discretely inquire when Potter is likely to be there. That should give us a reasonable time-frame. Until then, don't worry over it…enjoy your summer here for as long as you can."

"Sure dad…thanks"

Now that the issue of my stay had been sorted out, I was happy to be relatively carefree, and spent the rest of the morning with the boys, blissfully forgetting about the world outside of Snape Manor.

* * *

The next few days passed in the usual lazy manner that all summer breaks start off. We slept in, slacked off, and in general lazed about relishing the sudden lack of stress. However, it was on the fifth day of our break that we were informed that our cousin, none other than Blaise Zabini would be coming to stay with us. It turns out that his father has to go away for business, and his mother is going to join him. Blaise opted to stay home, and instead was coming to Snape manor so as to spend some time with his cousins. 

It was an early Saturday morning that I was roused from a rather pleasant dream, by a firm shake to my shoulder. I moaned tiredly, and blinked confused. The boys weren't usually so demure in their attempts to wake me. I stared blearily at the large black figure that was sitting on my bed, and realized that it was saying something to me.

"come on, time to get up Mia, your cousin will be here in an hour" my father said gently

"mmm? Daddy??" I asked snuggling into my pillow, still half-asleep

"yes…come on, up you get"

"five more minutes?" I mumbled

"nope, don't make me open the curtains…" he threatened

"alright, alright, I'm up" I groaned as I sat up and yawned.

"good girl"

"mmm…are the boys up yet?"

"I was about to go wake them, I tried earlier, but now that you're up, those two should be roused as well"

"ok…what time is it anyways?" I asked

"7:30"

"ugh, no wonder I'm so tired…"

"hmm, alright Mia, get ready, Blaise will be here soon" he said getting up from my bed

"ok ok, I'm going already" I complained leaving the tempting warmth of my bed…honestly who gets up at 7:30 in the morning on the holidays?! I'm young, I need my sleep!!

* * *

I was finally more awake after I showered and finished my morning routine. I headed down, though I was still rather apprehensive about seeing Blaise. It was strange, he along with the other Slytherins had always taken great enjoyment in tormenting myself and the other Gryffindors, so it was strange to suddenly be dealing with him as a cousin. So much of our past interaction had consisted of sneering insults, that we had yet to become comfortable with each other. 

I pondered all this while waiting for the boys to come down. I was feverishly hoping that they would hurry, since Blaise was expected any minute. If I were the only one here to greet him, it would either be very awkward, rather disastrous, or, more than likely both.

The boys walked in, followed by my father, just in time for the floo to glow green, signalling the arrival of our cousin.

Blaise stepped out of the fireplace, and was graciously welcomed by the entire family. He went through the usual greetings, and stared at me oddly when it came to my turn to welcome him. Perhaps the odd look was a result of my rather blunt, "hey Zabini". Either way, he replied equally enthusiastically with a nod and a muttered, "Granger" in acknowledgment.

The day passed rather dully for me after this, as Blaise and the boys spent the day catching up, while I stayed in the library reading. I didn't want to intrude on them, and knowing that the three are close, my presence would only make things uncomfortable. In the end, I ended up spending several hours comfortably ensconced in the family library with my father.

* * *

The next day I came down to breakfast before the boys or Blaise. They were all still fast asleep on account of having stayed up most of the night catching up. I entered the kitchen to see my father sitting at the table with a pot of coffee and the daily prophet opened in front of him. 

"morning daddy" I chirped happily

"mhmm, morning Mia" he replied distractedly.

I sat down and helped myself to a piece of toast and a cup of coffee.

"May I?" I asked gesturing to the sections of the paper he had already finished reading.

I received a curt nod, so, I opened the paper only to be shocked at the kinds of articles it contained. I read in mounting fury as the Prophet published article after article of slanderous garbage.

"Bloody stupid idiots! What in the name of Merlin is the Ministry thinking!" I muttered angrily.

"Nothing of course, that would require those fools to actually have brain cells" my father replied nonchalantly

"Hmph!"

"I take it you've no more intention of wasting your time with that garbage either?"

"Not in the slightest…how can they be so blind and ignorant! One minute they love Harry, praising him like no other, and the next they're treating him like some delusional, attention-seeking child!" I exclaimed in frustrated outrage.

What I failed to notice, was the entrance of my two brothers and our cousin Blaise. Blaise stood there awkwardly, as it was common knowledge that he hated Harry and Ron, and the boys seemed to share the opinion, and remained silent also.

"The Ministry will either use Potter to their advantage or make him out to be a fool, it has nothing to do with actually liking the boy. Fudge is merely using him to convince the public that Albus is out for his job, and desires to control the Ministry for his own dastardly deeds." My father replied calmly

"Yes, but that's not true! Even Fudge must know that" I argued

"Of course it's not true, but our Minister is a dim-witted fool who would probably be threatened by anyone who can so much as levitate a quill"

"But surely he couldn't be Minister if he didn't have at least a modicum of sense" I said, hoping to maintain at least a little bit of faith in our system

"Sense, Hermione, has absolutely _nothing_ to do with politics and more importantly politicians, least of all Fudge" He replied scathingly

"Hmm, I suppose" I conceded, taking a bite of my toast. It was then that I noticed the three boys standing in the doorway.

"Going to stand there forever boys?" I asked arching an eyebrow at them

"Maybe…" Aleks replied arrogantly

I rolled my eyes at them, and finished my breakfast. Father left shortly afterwards, and I waited around for the boys to finish. When they did, we decided that we would spend the day in a relatively relaxing manner.

This of course meant very different things to me than it did to them. The boys decided that relaxing meant zipping around at break-neck speed on their brooms playing Quidditch. For me however, it meant relaxing with a good book, or sketching. In the end, I ended up reading my novel outside where the boys were playing.

The day passed in a similar manner, and by dinner time they were too tired to be annoying, and the evening passed in peace. So far, Blaise and I had yet to interact at all, hence the lack of arguments and tension. All in all, the second day of my cousin's stay was a success. I went to bed hoping the following day would be just as peaceful.

* * *

_Thanks for reading, leave a review please!! and a suggestion or two if you have any :D _

Huge thanks to all my faithful readers and reviewers, and to my beta


	17. Isn't It A Little Early For Halloween?

_Hey all! Soo, this chapter's out a little later than I had originally hoped, but that's mostly because the past couple weeks have been crazy. My sister moved to the States last week, so the first week of the holidays was spent helping her pack up all her stuff, and then we had the usual flurry of people coming for Christmas, but it was even worse because there were more than normal as they all wanted to see my sister off. So suffice it to say I've had very little 'me time' which consequently translates into almost non-existant writing time. _

_So my sincere apologies, however, rest assured I have absolutely NO intention of abandoning this story, and hopefully the wait for the next chapter won't be as long. Oh and Happy New Year to everyone, hope your holidays were all as good as mine! Anyways, enjoy! _

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the Snape brothers...all else is property of JKR _

* * *

Chapter 17 – Isn't It A Little Early For Halloween?

I awoke early the next morning to the strangest whispering noises. While this was odd enough as it was (not to mention creepy) what made it even more strange was that the whispering seemed to be echoing from _within_ my mind. It was a rather peculiar sensation, to hear the soft whispering of other voices emanating from within ones' mind.

I sat up sleepily with my eyes squeezed shut, not wanting the bright rays of the sun to infiltrate the pleasant darkness that encompassed me. I stretched tiredly as I allowed my sleep-fogged mind to catch up with me. I finally decided to open my eyes, and promptly fell out of my bed in an ungraceful heap at the sight that met my eyes.

Surrounding my bed were the looming figures of my brothers and cousin draped in long black robes not unlike those worn by my father during the school year. If that wasn't bad enough, they had somehow managed to convert my bedroom into an exact replica of the potions classroom at Hogwarts. However, due to my current sleep-fogged state, it did not register that the 3 young men in my room were in fact my siblings and cousin, no no no, all I could see was 3 guys in large black robes with huge Halloween masks standing around my bed staring at me. This would probably be why I shocked the hell out of them by screaming bloody murder.

This reaction (which I consider to be completely natural) was followed by the sound of thundering footsteps. I was still so dazed from being woken up, that all I could do was scream as I fumbled for my wand. They started to advance on me in an attempt to calm me down, but of course I only viewed this action as a greater threat. The result of this assumption? An even louder, ear-piercing scream.

By this point the door to my room/classroom burst open to reveal none other than my father, robes billowing, and a look of strong worry crossed with absolute fury etched into his face. His startling entranced caused me to stop screaming, leaving a rather deafening silence broken only by the terrified hyperventilating noises coming from yours truly.

"What in the name of hades is going on here?" my father hissed menacingly.

"S-s-sorry dad, we didn't mean to scare her that badly, it was just a joke" Aleks stuttered out apologetically

"_Just_ a JOKE?" He thundered "a _joke_ is meant to be harmless, a_joke_ is when you dye someone's hair pink, or when you hex a classmate's shoes off in winter, a _JOKE_ does NOT scare your sister into a hyperventilating terrified heap to the point where she cannot even defend herself!"

"Yes father, we're sorry, we didn't mean to scare her so much" Malik said remorsefully.

"You do not apologize to me, you will apologize to Hermione, and then you will go downstairs and wait for me in the parlour. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sir" the three boys chorused dutifully with their heads hung low.

"Good, now get out" He hissed.

Somewhere during all this, I finally got a grip and woke up enough to realize what had happened, and calm down. With a careless flick of his wand, my father returned my room into its' original state, before cautiously approaching me.

"It's ok dad, I'm not gonna cower like a frightened animal" I said throwing him a small smile

"They just startled me is all"

"It must have done more than startle you to have you scream like that Mia" He replied quirking his eyebrow at me

"Ok fine, so maybe it scared me a bit"

His other eyebrow shot up at that, almost like a silent challenge

"Oh alright, they scared the crap out of me, happy now?" I huffed in an irritated manner.

"Indeed. You know, burrowing into those blankets isn't going to make you any less annoyed, with me or anyone else" he commented idly

I childishly stuck my tongue out at him saying, "no, but it's certainly comfortable"

"Mhmm…well, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes daddy I'm fine, sorry to worry you" I said with a sigh

"It's alright, I'm glad, anyways if you are fine then I believe I shall go downstairs, I have a few punishments to deal out…oh and good morning breakfast, is on the table whenever you're ready"

"Thanks dad"

* * *

As I approached the kitchen, I noticed that the house was eerily silent, even the parlour where I knew the boys were with our father. I suppose he used a silencing charm so as to prevent my eaves dropping, ah well, I could always figure out what happened later.

I was quietly munching on some toast, and decided I was awake, alert, and calmed down enough to find out what was going on. I tentatively opened my mind and reached out to my brothers.

--Malik, Aleks?--

--Sorry we can't really talk now, we're in the middle of watching our entire summer being delegated away into chores and punishments-- Aleks proclaimed sarcastically.

--Hah, more like detentions-- Malik added

--Ouch…sorry, maybe after a few days of good behaviour he'll let you guys off the hook--

--Hmm are you suggesting putting in a good word for us?-- Malik asked

--Perhaps…although, I should warn you, I won't do it for free-- I said with a mischievous smirk. Oh if those boys thought they would get off scott-free they were in for one _huge_ surprise.

--Oh? What might these conditions be, sister-dear?-- Aleks inquired cautiously

--Well, for one, no more waking me up with pranks, but as for the rest I'll have a list of requirements drawn up for you boys…and please note, these will apply to our dearest cousin as well. First however, you lot need to be good little boys and do as father says for the next few days. I'm sure we can enter into negotiations after that-- I explained coolly

--Hmph, and you call yourself a Gryff, seems you're more of a Slytherin than anyone gives you credit for-- Malik commented

--What can I say? Like father, like daughter!-- I stated cheerfully.

--Yeah, well, if ya don't mind we need to pay more attention, before we get in even more trouble for zoning out during dad's lecture see ya in the next millennium! Hopefully by then there won't be any chores left to do!-- Aleks said, before both boys closed themselves off.

* * *

Due to the rather eventful morning we had just had, the rest of the day passed by quite easily. Father was away doing something or other, and the boys were all busy with the lovely chore of cleaning the garden (apparently the garden had recently gotten infested with flobberworms). From my rather 'interesting' experience with flobberworms in third year, I had no intention of helping them…they could deal with that themselves, besides it _was_ their punishment after all. Instead I chose to spend my day in the library.

The family library was incredible. There must easily be thousands of books stored in that room, and they were all there at my disposal. I had managed to find a rather interesting section in the library with extremely old books that had topics which ranged the entire magical spectrum. It was there that I decided to take up residence that day.

I emerged from my corner when meals were forced upon me, but was otherwise quite content in my current situation. Upon going to bed, I decided that tomorrow, I would devote my time to coming up with some reasonable 'requirements' that I could pitch to my siblings and cousin as an exchange for putting in a good word for them with father.

* * *

_Two days later…_

It was a beautiful day, and I happily marched into the attic where the boys were still cleaning.

"Hello boys, how goes the cleaning? Surely you'll be done in another month or so" I taunted while giving them a very Snape-like smirk. My comment was answered with the bitter remarks of "shut it", "smug wench" and the like. I can't say I entirely blame them, the past three days had been all work and no play for the boys, everything from relieving the garden of a flobberworm infestation to the current cleaning of doxys from the attic.

"Haha, I'm kidding, well….actually I'm half serious, it seems you lot are in need of my good opinion, hmm?" I stated calmly

"Perhaps, although that all depends on if you can be of use to us" Aleks replied

"Somehow I doubt your sister's gonna help us outa this one, isn't that right Granger?" Blaise said bitterly

"Blaise, I'm crushed! Unless of course, you _enjoy_ doing these chores" I said dramatically putting my hand over my heart.

"Hardly"

"Well then, I suggest you boys listen to my proposal…otherwise, I think you will be spending quite a bit of your summer doing tedious house chores at father's orders." I stated smugly

"Fine, we're listening" Malik said sceptically as he put down the cleaning supplies he was holding.

"Excellent!" I exclaimed, "In that case, let's get down to business shall we?"

"Might as well" Aleks replied dully.

"Good. So, as you must know, I am hardly going to put in a good word with dad out of the goodness of my heart, definitely not after that stunt you three pulled the other morning."

"Naturally" Malik conceded sarcastically, "So what is it you want in return then?"

"So very glad you asked brother-dear, here I made three copies, one for each of you" I said as I handed out some professional looking documents to each of the boys.

They took the papers and eyed them with scepticism before Blaise cautiously asked what exactly the papers were.

"Those, are the terms to the agreement, a contract of sorts if you will" I stated calmly.

"A contract? I hardly think the situation warrants the use of such a formal document" Aleks exclaimed in disbelief.

"On the contrary, it is precisely what is needed…what? You didn't seriously think I would simply take your word and expect you to keep to it did you? I am neither naïve nor am I ignorant to your Slytherin ways." I claimed

"Then you shouldn't be surprised if we would like to pursue this document with care and attention to detail is that right? Because while we may be Slytherins, don't think it's escaped our notice that you are also the daughter of a Slytherin" Malik replied.

"Go ahead, pursue to your hearts' content, though I don't see the point, the quality of your summer depends on that document and the extent of my kindness of course" I said smugly, before turning and making my way back the door, "do inform me about your decision…" I said before strolling out of the attic with an air of smug victory.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Leave a review please_


	18. Occlumency

_Hey all! _

_sooo, here's yet another chapter, hope it meets your expectations. So ya know, I am always open to suggestions, if anyone has any ideas for things that can be included in the contract, let me know, and if I use your idea I will gladly give you credit for it:D anyways, drop me a line if you have any ideas, thanks!! _

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, and the Snape brothers of course _

* * *

Chapter 18 - Occlumency

It was late afternoon when I was warily approached by three boys in various states of exhaustion and griminess. They were all sporting a rather bitter looking expression as they one by one dropped the contracts on the table in front of me. I looked up from my novel and calmly collected the parchments.

"Ah good, I see they're all signed. Now then, that wasn't so hard now was it?" I taunted knowing full well that they were all rather annoyed with me but couldn't do anything about it.

"Ha! Hard is an understatement…bloody hell Hermione, if it weren't for necessity, I wouldn't have signed that if you payed me!" Aleks exclaimed in exasperation.

"Yeah, damn Granger, are you _trying_ to kill us? Really I was almost up for taking the chores over what you proposed…almost" Blaise added

"Well, I had to make it worth my while didn't I? besides, it's not like you boys have much choice in the matter" I replied.

"Maybe….but still, really, some of those requirements were absolute rubbish! Painting your nails? Keeping a book by your table at all times? Refilling your drink on demand?! Seriously, don't you think you're going a little over the top?" Malik asked

"Hmmm….perhaps" I drawled as if pondering the situation, "But no! Now you know the price that comes with messing with me" I said with an evil smirk

"Bloody hell" My brothers muttered in unison

"I second that" Blaise said.

"Now now, don't worry, at least you won't be doing house chores anymore" I said reasonably

"No, now we're doomed to be at your beck and call 24/7 for the rest of the summer" Aleks muttered bitterly

"Well….yeah pretty much" I exclaimed smugly

"Fine, then at least keep up your half of the bargain, and get us off the hook with Uncle Severus" Blaise said

"Don't you worry, it'll be done by morning" I assured

"Good" was the resounding response before they filtered out to go shower and change into cleaner clothes.

I smirked to myself. Perhaps this summer would turn out even better than I imagined. 'Ahh the possibilities' I mused to myself. I figured I might as well keep up my end of the deal, and went off in search of my father. This whole 'putting in a good word' thing would most likely not be a one conversation accomplishment. I had spent a good portion of the morning deciding on how I may approach the situation. I decided it was safest (and easiest) to play the 'daddy's little girl' card. It was essentially fool proof. That combined with the, 'they only have two months with us' pity card would surely work out to my benefit. With these thoughts in mind, I wandered from the library and started my search of the manor. I eventually found my father in his study on the third floor and put my plan into action.

"Hey dad, you busy?" I asked sidling into the room 'shyly'

"Not particularly, come in Mia" He replied looking up from his desk

"What're you doing?" I inquired with genuine curiosity

"Dealing with some paperwork, hardly worthy of your interest" he stated blandly, "did you have something specific to ask me?" He questioned giving me a sharp look.

"Umm…hehe not really, what a girl can't come and see her dad without a reason?" I countered, slightly more nervous.

"Of course not, however I happen to know for a fact that you had an _idea_ to pitch to me" He said as he placed his hands atop the desk giving me a calculated look.

"And why would you think that father?" I asked trying to appear nonchalant

"Because daughter, _I_ am an accomplished Occlumens and a spy. I am rather adept at detecting untruths, regardless of how harmless" He said smugly

"Occlumens? I don't think I've come across that term before….and I am _not_ being untruthful!" I exclaimed outraged

"Perhaps not untruthful, but less than honest?" He countered raising an eyebrow at me

"Fine fair on, what's an Occlumens?" I asked curiously

"Have you heard of Legilimency?"

"I believe so…it is the ability to see into another person's mind is it not?" I asked, not even conscious of the fact that we slipped back into our teacher/student personas

"Yes. However, it is not quite so simple as that. It is a forced entry into another's mind, and depending on the caster's intent, the results can be quite brutal. A Legilimens can sort through your memories and view them as though they were there themselves. Much like how a person views memories from a pensieve"

"Oh…is there no way to protect yourself from that? Are you a Legilimens?"

"Yes, to both questions. I am a highly skilled Legilimens, as is Headmaster Dumbledore. However you are correct, there is a way to protect yourself from the invasion of a Legilimens, and _that_ is the art of Occlumency. Occlumency is the ability to block your mind from the invasion of any outside force, rather similar to the kind of protection you have to keep your brothers out of your mind. An accomplished Occlumens can even project images in such a way as to make the Legilimens believe that they are not being hindered. Trick them as it were."

"Wow, is it hard to learn? When did you learn it, and why for that matter?"

"It is difficult to learn, but once mastered becomes a skill that is as instinctive and blinking. I learned when I was very young due to necessity. I have no desire to discuss those circumstances with you Mia. However, it is how I've stayed alive for so long in the_service_ of the Dark Lord."

"Oh, I see…so what makes it different from me keeping Malik and Aleks out of my head?"

"Not much actually. If you were to learn Occlumency or Legilimency it would come very naturally to you for many reasons. Mainly because you have experience with blocking your mind, where most do not. You are also aware of what it feels like to have another person's presence in your mind, and therefore you will be able to detect the invasion far more easily than others. The main difference however, is that you are protecting your mind from a 'friendly' invasion, your brothers mean no harm and enter you mind with pure, well, mostly pure, intent. Also they are linked to you by blood, and your connection is unique, it is not the same as an external invasion of your mind"

"Can you teach me?" I asked curiously. There was a long pause before he cautiously answered.

"Perhaps, however, it is not something to be entered into lightly. I have taught your brothers the basics of the art. I suppose I could teach you, but I warn you now Mia, it takes much discipline and practice."

"I understand. Besides, I'm no stranger to that right? I mean, you _do_ know my study habits right?" I said with a laugh

"Indeed, sometimes I wonder how you don't drown in all that information you keep trying to pack into that head of yours"

"Oh ha ha. But you'll really teach me?" I asked excitedly

"Yes, now, care to tell me why you are here in the first place?"

"Oh, well, actually I was wondering if you would let the boys off. They have been working hard and it _is_ their summer. Besides I have better plans of torture for them, plans that are much more amusing that watching them clean attics" I said with a calculating smirk

"I'm sure you do, and what exactly do these plans entail?"

"Nothing that you have to worry about, leave it to me dad!"

"Hmm, alright, I will inform your siblings and cousin tonight that they may be relieved of their duties." He agreed

"Excellent, well…mind if I camp out here in your office for a bit longer? I won't bother you, I just want a change of venue for my reading" I said smiling at him hopefully

"Of course, make yourself comfortable. What are you reading?"

"_Runes: The Art of Transcription_ by Emmeline Adders. It's rather interesting so far, and I find Ancient Runes to be a far more interesting subject than I had anticipated"

"Indeed, it is an interesting subject, one that is often overlooked, but has great value. Especially in the art of curse breaking. That book in particular is well written, I'm sure you'll enjoy it"

"Well, I won't bother you" I said as I settled down comfortably on one of the couches to read.

* * *

That night father released the boys from their punishment, but with stern warning that nothing like that is to happen again. This was fine by me. So it was that the day ended on a high note, with our entire family sitting around the room chatting amiably. There was a round of Wizards Chess which invariably turned into a mini tournament. Naturally I was the first to be eliminated, I think I have been permanently scarred by my experience in first year with the life-sized version of chess. Nevertheless, after a pleasant evening we all went to bed in varying states of relaxation and contentment. Little did the boys know that the soon, their _real_ punishment would begin. With that final thought I slipped away into the blissful world of my dreams.

* * *

_Somewhere in England…_

The house was dark, lit dimly giving it an eerie glow. From the darkness, two voices filtered through, penetrating the silence.

"You are_ sure_ you saw the mudblood with Severus?" the lady questioned

"Yes madam. I am positive. Granger was with him, sobbing in his arms like a fool" came the reply from another figure.

"I see, an interesting development indeed" the lady mused, thinking to herself, "I want you to keep a close eye on the girl while at school. Do _not_ make yourself known. Do you understand?"

"Yes madam" came the obedient reply

"Good. Remember you are not to breathe a word of any of this to anyone, regardless of the circumstances. We will wait, bide our time and use this information when the time is right, and when it is of greatest benefit to us. Understood?"

"Yes madam. I understand your wishes completely"

"Very well. Get out of my sight"

The other figure gave a slight nod before turning and leaving the room. The lady sat down in her chair gently twisting her hair in her fingers as she pondered the events of the evening. She had not anticipated receiving such interesting news. Sighing, she wondered idly what possible connection there could be between the Granger girl and Snape. With that thought in mind, she got up and retired to bed, deciding that the issue could be looked into in the morning.

* * *

_Snape Manor_

I awoke the next morning to blissful silence, both inside my mind and outside. It was oddly pleasant. I lay in bed enjoying the luxury of both sleeping in peacefully and the softness of the bed.

'I'm getting spoiled rotten living in luxury like this' I thought to myself. I wondered idly what my mother was doing now, probably enjoying her time out of England. I wished she could be here too. It was in the quiet mornings like this that I missed her, missed having her around just to talk to about the inconsequential things in life. Maybe she could come visit sometime? Hmm, I'll have to bring that up with my father.

I continued to ponder that idea as I went about my morning routine. By the time I was finished, I wandered into Malik's room and proceeded to wake both him and Aleksander. Besides, this is their first day of 'freedom', or so they believed anyways. I figured I'd give them a day or two in peace, give them false hope. _Then_ the fun would begin.

The day passed pleasantly, as the boys were happy to not be doing chores, and I was happy for the company. Blaise and I still stayed mostly away from each other though, there was still too much tension and bitterness. Four years of hatred cannot be wiped away in the span of a few months, cousins or not. We were however, making progress. As long as we were not left alone together, there was a surprising lack of harsh words exchanged.

That night, I brought up the subject of my mother during dinner.

"Father, I was wondering, seeing as it is not possible for me to go visit my mother in the States, is it possible for her to come back to England to visit me?"

"I don't see why not. Has she proposed such an idea?" Father asked

"Well, no. It's just, I haven't seen her, and well, I would like to" I replied somewhat awkwardly

"Naturally. However, perhaps you should be asking her if she is able to come visit first, before making any plans and getting your hopes up" He said reasonably

"I suppose. But supposing she _is_ able to come visit. Could she come here? I'd like for her to meet you all properly. I know it would be strange, but she is my mother, regardless of blood, and I was kind of hoping she could meet my new family, and vice versa."

"I see. That would be acceptable I believe. However, I doubt you will be able to see her this year, you have only a short time left here, before you are expected to be at Headquarters, and I believe you usually spend Christmas with the Weaselys? It would be strange for you to change your plans now. Next summer I think would be a more natural time for her to come visit. She may stay here in the Manor, and this way, she will also have time to prepare to take leave from her work, etc."

"Oh…alright, so for next summer?" I asked, slightly disappointed that I won't be seeing her this summer or during Christmas. "It's strange not seeing her for so long, I hope you won't mind?"

"Of course not. Like you said, she _is_ your mother, she raised you, you love her, it is only natural that you would want her to see you here. Send her a letter asking if she is able, then I will send her a note myself issuing a formal invitation."

"Thanks Dad, really…I know she'll say yes, I doubt even Gary will be able to convince her otherwise!"

"Well, seeing as that is settled, how do you boys like your newfound freedom?" Father questioned with a smirk

"Rather well thanks" Aleks replied with a grin

"Yeah, this whole 'not doing chores' thing is working out quite nicely" Malik added

"I see, glad to hear it, I trust you three learned your lesson?"

A chorus of "Yes father" and "Yes Uncle Sev" answered his question

"Anyways, did you really expect us to stay out of trouble for that long? Honestly, I think you would be more worried if we _didn't_ pull a stunt like that" Blaise said

"Yeah, you'd think we were some sort of imposters or something" Aleks added.

"Indeed, that is true enough. I suppose hoping that you lot stay out of trouble is nothing more than wishful thinking?" Father replied

"Pretty much" Malik answered

"_Anyways_, if you four are done arguing, can we be excused?" I said rolling my eyes

"Very well"

"Great" I said getting up, and dragging my sibling with me. "Come on you three, there's a game on 'pause' downstairs that's waiting for us, well waiting for me to kick your butts again anyways!" I said with a very 'Snape-worthy' smirk

"Oh you wish darling" Malik scoffed, as the four of us made our way to the game room.

The rest of the evening passed enjoyably, with the four of us engaged deeply in a mini gaming tournament. By the time we finished it was late and we decided to turn in for the night. I decided that the next day I would put 'stage one' into action.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Leave a review please, and a suggestion if you so choose:D  
_


	19. Like Pieces of a Puzzle

_Hey All! _

_I liiiiiiiiiive!!!! OMG I am SO INCREDIBLY SORRY!! I know I have been gone for a really long time, but I have had the absolute WORST case of writters block I have ever encountered. I went through a massive non-harrypotter phase, and just couldn't for the life of me get into any of my harry potter stories. I know that's probably an oft used excuse, but in this case it is very true. This on top of the fact that school has been insane and I took a really tough course this summer which sucked up most of the time that I wanted to write. I was hoping to get a couple chapters down over the 4 month summer break, but no such luck. Anyways, I seem to have found my inspiration again (sort of) and hopefully will be able to update more frequently. _

_For any readers (and reviewers) I may still have (regardless of how undeservedly), thank you so much for you patience and support. I hope you are still reading this, and enjoy this chapter. This chapter's kinda fluffy, hope you don't mind, but yeah. Thank you all again_

_Also to my absolutely Lovely reviewers, I appreciate the support and if I haven't already replied to your review, I apologize. As stated earlier, I haven't exactly been in a HP mood, and haven't even signed onto my account here in ages. I will however make sure I respond, so please do not think that your comments are not appreciated, because I assure you they most certainly are!  
_

_Sincerely, _

_DeceptiveFates_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the Snape brothers of course!  
_

* * *

Chapter 19 – Like Pieces of a Puzzle

I awoke the next morning in a ridiculously good mood. Granted this may have been a result of the pleasant dream I had last night, but I'm more inclined to attribute it to the fact that 'stage one' of my plan was going into effect today. I completed my morning routine quickly, before going down for breakfast.

"Morning Dad" I chirped cheerfully as I entered the kitchen

"Good morning Mia, you're awfully cheery this morning" He replied quirking an eyebrow at me

"What a girl can't be happy for no apparent reason?"

"Not at all, however the likelihood of there being no particular reason is rather slim"

"Fair enough" I conceded, "I'm in an excellent mood because I have decided that the boys have had enough time 'off' so I think it's time to put my plan into action"

"Ahh I see. I should have known you would have some devious plan to exact your revenge" he said shaking his head slightly in amusement

"Anyways…oh I was wondering, how exactly am I supposed to send my mother a letter across the ocean? Can I still use an owl or is there some other way to get letters sent?" I asked.

"No you do not use an owl as you would normally. The process is similar to the muggle system. You send your letter to a post office, and they have someone who portkeys across the ocean and delivers the letters to another office where appropriate owls will be assigned."

"Oh…I suppose that makes sense…well then, I suppose I'll have to go to Diagon Alley to mail my letter then. Could you take me sometime?"

"I think it can be arranged for Professor McGonagall to take you. It would be unwise for you to be seen with me especially during the holidays"

"Oh right. I forgot about that. Well thanks, but I better go get the boys up, they've got a big day ahead of them!" I said with an evil grin

"Mmhmm, now now, be nice Mia" My father said with a smirk

"Come now dad, I'm _always_ nice!" I replied with my best 'innocent' look

"Whatever you say sweetheart, run along then, I hardly want to stand in the way of your vicious plans"

"Later dad!"

* * *

Once I'd gotten the boys up (which I might add was no small feat) I sent them off to get dressed and have breakfast. In the meantime, I grabbed the book from my nightstand and leisurely made my way down to the patio near the pool. I took my time getting comfortable so as to give the boys time to actually eat some breakfast before I sent out a rather stern mental summon.

*Malik, Aleksander, bring me a nice tall glass of lemonade if you please* I commanded arrogantly

*Get it yourself! We're eating" Aleks replied indignantly

*I beg your pardon? Have you boys forgotten the terms of our agreement already?* I taunted in a scolding tone

*You have _got_ to be kidding me* Malik groaned annoyed

*Nope! Now I strongly _suggest_ someone bring me that glass of lemonade* I reiterated cheerily

*Fine, fine, we're coming* Aleks replied

I calmly opened my book and a few minutes later Malik stomped out of the house with my drink in hand. Though I admit he didn't look very happy about it.

"Here" he said brusquely as he thrust the glass in my general direction

I slowly lifted my eyes from my book and looked at him for a minute before I took my time setting my book aside and reached for the glass. I took one tentative sip, thought for a moment, and held it back out towards him.

"I think it needs another spoonful of sugar Malik, it's not quite to my liking" I said imperiously

He huffed, glared, then reluctantly took the glass back and marched off. This was going to be fun.

*Aleks come out to the patio please and do bring Blaise with you as well*

*Why? Malik's already dealing with the lemonade situation* Aleks replied

*Because I asked you to, now get over here now!*

*Geez bossy bossy* Aleks grumbled

"Well?" he asked as he approached me, Blaise following close behind

"I want one of you to go fetch me a book from the library, I had a specific one in mind, it's called _Nazcan runes_ by Johnson Perez, and I want one of you to go get a quill and some parchment"

"Fine. I'll go get your bloody book, you can get the parchment" Blaise said directing the last part to Aleks

"Joy" came his sarcastic reply

"Oh and Blaise? Don't try to summon the book, the spell will damage it and the others around it, you'll need to find it and retrieve it by hand" I called in warning, before smugly settling down to enjoy the fun.

Malik showed up shortly afterwards with my drink according to my specifications. I thought I'd give him a short break and let him lounge around till the other two came back.

It turned out to be a longer break than I anticipated. Twenty minutes passed, Aleksander came back with parchment, ink and quill in hand, but my dearest cousin was nowhere to be seen

"Think he ran for it?" Aleks asked with a smirk

"Nah, our dearest sister made sure we couldn't run out on our agreement with that damn contract remember" Malik replied

"Oh yeah…" was the dull response

I simply smirked happily enjoying their 'suffering'. Finally I got bored and decided enough was enough, and sent Malik off to find Blaise and help him find my book. This left Aleks around with nothing to do. Well not yet.

"Oh brother dear!" I called out sweetly

"Uh…yeah?" he asked hesitantly, noting my tone with apprehension

"I feel the odd desire to have my nails painted, do go fetch my nail polish set from my room"

"Oh no you don't, I am NOT painting your nails!" he spluttered indignantly

"No?" I countered giving him a challenging look

"Oh bloody _hell_! You know, I never would have pegged you as a sadist" He grumbled, before promptly dragging himself back into the house.

He returned a few minutes later with a shoebox full of nail polish. I made a great show of selecting a colour, before finally deciding on a rather pleasant shade of royal blue.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I asked wiggling my toes in Aleksanders face

"Dunno, I was hoping you'd come to your senses"

"Haha! Keep wishing"

"Yeah, yeah…" he sighed, reluctantly grabbing the bottle and settling down at my feet, ready to begin his 'task'. He had finished one foot, when I got curious as to what was taking the other two so long.

*Malik? What's taking so long, did you boys get lost in the library?* I asked amusedly

*Hmph, no…just can't find your bloody book. Merlin Kyla where the hell did you see that blasted thing!* Malik exclaimed

*Oh for heaven's sake! It's in the…wait a minute, what did you just call me?* I asked confused, noting that Aleks had also stopped short in surprise

*Shit, crap…uh nothing, sorry…forget it* Malik mumbled…or rather the mental equivalent to a mumble

*No, tell me! You called me Kyla…why?? You've never called me that before* I insisted, *Aleks? What aren't you boys telling me?*

*Look, it's no big deal just let it go Hermione* Aleks said trying to brush it off lightly

*Obviously it is, otherwise you two wouldn't be trying so hard to get me to forget it*

*It's nothing…I just….damn, you're not letting this go are you?* Malik asked

*No. Please…_please_ don't hide stuff from me especially when it clearly pertains to me*

*Fine. Look, I called you 'Kyla' cause your middle name's Kylanna, and it's just something I got used to calling you, in my head anyways. Dad said that mom always liked the name Kylanna better, and well, I dunno…When we were little, I know I couldn't say 'Hermione' so I used to call you Kyla, and it sorta stuck. I didn't think you would want me to call you that now, so I've been trying not to. It just slipped*

*Oh…I, I see…* I stuttered, a little shocked, *Our mother liked the name Kylanna better? Then why did she name me Hermione?*

*Oh, that's cause dad like Hermione better, and they compromised* Aleks said

*So, do you mind?* Malik asked hesitantly

*Umm…no actually I don't, or at least I don't think so. Honestly I think I kinda like it* I said quietly, somewhat surprised by my own answer, *You know what, leave Blaise to the book, come here for a minute please?* I asked

*Yeah, sure*

* * *

A few minutes later, Malik joined us outside, and I gestured for him to sit on the end of the reclining chair next to Aleks.

"Okay, I think we need to talk" I stated firmly, "Look, we've been around each other now for a while, I feel like I know you boys, and I know you feel the same about me. We're family, no we are _triplets_. That means that we're closer than anyone else can ever get, which also means that we can be wholly and completely honest with each other, especially with the whole telepathy thing. I mean it boys, I don't want you two to feel as though you can't be sincere with me" I said earnestly, looking closely at each of them. "I want us to be able to tell each other anything, and I _don't_ want you guys to feel like you have to treat me differently, or with a level of distance just because I didn't grow up with you……I know we didn't exactly have the normal sibling bonding experience of growing up together, and I know that makes things harder, and that we're still getting to know each other. But I don't want that distance to be permanent. I _want_ to get to a place where we are as close as siblings should be! Please don't shut me out!"

"Oh gods Hermione, Kyla whatever the hell I'm gonna call you, I'm not trying to shut you out!" Malik cried putting his arms around me, "I just don't want to freak you out is all"

"He's right, you're that one person in the world that we have wanted for so long and have never been able to have, it's like we don't want to smother you" Aleks added joining our little sob session

"I know, I know, but what if I sort of want to be smothered…even just a little bit?" I asked sniffling shyly

"Well, I'm sure we can accommodate you in that" Malik said gently brushing away some of my tears

"Ah hell, don't go crying now, we're boys, we don't deal with female tears all that well" Aleks joked, easing the tension

I giggled quietly squeezing Aleksander's arm with one hand and dashing the remaining tears away with the back of my other. I leaned my head against Malik's shoulder and sighed; who knew this whole family business would be so complicated. It was as though there was a constant and complex undercurrent of emotions, feelings and notions that coloured our every interaction. There were times when it seemed as though we had never been apart, and then other times such as this, that it seemed there was so much left unsaid. I guess it didn't help that the boys took after our father in the areas of emotional availability; hiding and suppressing their true feelings until one eventually managed to extract them.

"I really don't mind you know" I said softly after a moment, "about the name that is"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah…it's kinda sweet" I said with a laugh

"Great, now she thinks we're saps" Malik joked to Aleks

"Nah, she just thinks _you're_ a sap" Aleks corrected

"Yeah, says the one who used to make her birthday cards even when she wasn't around"

"Shut up! So did you, ya prat"

"You guys made me birthday cards?" I asked in surprise

"Heh, yeah, we always knew you were out there somewhere, and when we were kids we used to make you a card. We always made each other cards so it made sense to make one for you too" Aleks said logically

"I knew it! You two are _trying_ to make me cry aren't you" I said pitifully as my throat tightened once again signalling the oncoming tears

"Yes, that's right, you've discovered our master plan" Malik retorted sarcastically

I laughed, once again trying to stem the steady flow of tears.

"Geez, cut the waterworks already, would ya?!" Aleks said rolling his eyes and shoving me lightly

I rolled my eyes and pushed him back, before pointedly saying "don't you have some painting to get back to?" nodding toward the forgotten nail polish bottle

"Oh man, and here I thought I could get out of it"

"Nope!" I chirped happily

With a grumble he conceded and once again picked up the bottle and returned to his previous task. I stayed leaned against Malik, revelling in the comfort of the company of my brothers. They really were a part of me, in a way that I had never felt before. It's like we are pieces of a puzzle, where apart we are lost and yet together we are whole and complete as never before.

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_Thanks for reading!! Leave a review please :D_

_PS. I think this is the site that didn't used to display the * symbol, but now it does, so in case you were confused, the * encasing a conversation indicates telepathic talk, it is the system I have been using throughout, I just had to alter it for this story in the earlier chapters, however now that it does accept the symbol I'm going to carry on with the * because it makes life easier for me. Anyways, thought I'd clarify that!  
_


	20. A Plan In Action

_Hey all!_

_OMG I am sooooooooo sorry I've been gone for so long. I just had no motivation to write and I didn't know where to go with this section of the story. In addition to that, I've been ridiculously busy. I'm in my 4th year of university now, so it's insanely busy *sigh*. Anyways, you will be happy to hear that I have actually taken the time to write out a plan/timeline so the next couple chapters are planned out. This should make writing them much easier since I have a general idea of what I want to do. _

_HUGE thanks to all my incredible and awesome reviewers and to all you faithful readers out there. I know it's frustrating when I have so few updates, but thank you for your patience and understanding. I promise the next chapter will not take so long, in fact I'm going to make it my goal to have the next chapter up by the end of August at latest (Final Exams come in the beginning of August so that makes life stressful and such...)_

_Thanks again, hope you guys like this chapter! (I know not much happens, again it's more of a filler chappie, but next one will be better... I hope, lol!)_

_DeceptiveFates_

_ps. once again, remember *indicates telepathic speech*  
_

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Chapter 20 – A Plan In Action

My nails were all painted, and I even got Malik to give me a massage, when finally, a very dusty, annoyed Blaise Zabini stalked out onto the patio.

"Here's your blasted bloody book! I think I looked through every book in the whole library trying to find that damn thing. It just _had_ to be in the farthest and _dustiest_ corner, didn't it!" He exclaimed angrily, slamming the book down onto the table, sending bits of dust flying everywhere.

"Well, think of it this way Blaise, next time I need a book, you'll probably already know where it is!" I said happily.

"Yeah, great," came his sarcastic reply.

"Alrighty then," I said clapping my hands, "Blaise, since you spent the last two hours looking for my book I think you deserve a small break, meaning you can go grab a snack, but be back here in an hour tops got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, thanks I guess," he grumbled, slumping away to the kitchen.

"Well then, that leaves you two. Now, if you two will each grab a chair and one of those tables…" I said, waiting for them to get their seats ready, "excellent. Now I want you, Aleks, to take down notes of what I tell you. Malik, I want to you to read to me. Part way through I will allow you two to switch. I expect everything I tell you to be recorded correctly and if there are any mistakes I will make _certain_ you will regret it," I finished pinning them each with a stern glare.

"Seriously, you want us to take notes for you? Bloody hell Kyla you could just use a Dicto-Quill and you do realize this is summer don't you… ya know, no school... that sort of thing?" Aleks asked incredulously.

"Yup and I choose to spend my summer productively. Now, stop complaining and get ready to start writing... and Malik, do make it interesting."

"Can I at least sit there with you?" He whined, pouting a bit.

I gave him a' look' but sighed and enlarged the chair to make room for him as Aleks settled his desk and chair in front of us.

"All right then, The Nazca Runes by Johnson Perez" Malik began…

_The use of ancient runes is one of the most universal branches of magic that has been seen thus far in the history of the Wizarding world. The art has crossed cultural boundaries and is seen in the greatest variety of civilizations. The South American wizards are no exception. One of the most notable ancient civilizations to use runes were the Nazca race. Now located in current day Peru, the Nazca people are most known for their intricate runes that grace the desert floor. There has been much speculation in the muggle world as to how these 'patterns' were created and why. Yet with our knowledge of magic and the art of runes we are able to understand better why such designs were made. To this day however, we are uncertain as to why the runes were made so large. One theory is that it was…_"

After two hours and four parchments worth of notes, I decided to let the boys off the hook; temporarily at any rate. I sent them off to the kitchens to get some refreshments, telling them that I would call when I required their assistance once again. They really should have known better than to pull a prank on me when they knew I would retaliate.

The day continued much the same as the morning, and by the time dinner rolled around, the boys were positively delighted to have an hour or two without catering to my every need. I had a very relaxing day and so I was quite cheerful in my greeting. My siblings and cousin were not. We all settled around the table and waited for our food to be served.

"Is there a particular reason why you three boys are glaring at Hermione?" Father asked, quirking an eyebrow inquiringly.

There was a moment of silence before he was simultaneously bombarded with accusations and exclamations of my cruelty from all three boys. Everything ranging from, "you will never believe what she made me do..." to "I wish I was still cleaning the attic!"

"All right, all right! Enough!" Father exclaimed in exasperation, "By my estimation, this is all precisely what you deserve. You made this deal with Hermione of your own free will. Not to mention it was your own foolish prank that resulted in such punishment. You three brought this upon yourselves."

"Yeah, but seriously Dad, taking notes for her?" Aleks complained, "that's along the lines of cruel and unusual punishment."

"Hardly, Aleksander," I said shaking my head in amusement.

"Yeah _you_ wouldn't think so. You've got the good end of this deal," Blaise said bitterly.

"Well, there wouldn't have _been_ a deal if you three didn't try to give me a heart attack that morning."

"It's our fault you're a pansy?" Blaise asked with false curiosity.

"I am so not a pansy!" I exclaimed, outraged, "you scared the living daylights out of me! Not to mention you three wimps are bitching and moaning after doing one day of simple work. So tell me boys, who's the pansy now?"

"Psh, yeah but you ask crazy things" Malik chimed in.

"Crazy things? I asked you to make me lemonade, paint my nails, read to me and take notes. I hardly think that counts as crazy, Malik."

"Do you realize what you just said, Kyla? You said, taking notes... in the summer? Yeah, I think any bloke with good sense would call that crazy," Aleks said

"Uh huh... sure, I on the other hand, call it being useless, lazy buggers,"

"Hey! Lazy, fine, but useless? I think not! We're plenty useful" Malik defended.

"Really? I would _love_ to hear this."

"Um... well... we clean our rooms and we help outside with the grounds and stuff..."

"Oh? And you did this _without_ being harassed by Dad?"

"Hehe, well there may have been some gentle hints from the parental direction," Aleks said sheepishly.

"Ah, I see," I replied, smirking at them gleefully. Instead of pushing them into a full-blown confession, I let the subject drop. Besides, it was clear that they knew that I had caught them, at that was the point.

"Well, it seems you four have had an eventful day. Don't forget to do your homework as well, though," Father reminded.

"Yes, Dad," we replied in unison, except for Blaise who simply said, "yup!"

Finishing dinner, we all trooped off to the basement. I figured I would let them relax for the rest of the evening and we all settled down to play some games. It was nice to have people to spend the summer with, though I couldn't help but miss my mother. It was the only thing I hated about living at Hogwarts; I didn't get to see my mother except during the summer and now, I couldn't even do that. It was all Gary's fault. It always was. But at least that was one good thing about being at the Manor, I didn't have to deal with Gary and his stupidity.

Around 9:00 we relaxed and started a movie. It was nice to be curled up with the boys. It still startled me how deeply I felt the connection to them. The mental bond seemed to amplify my sense of belonging with them. It's like all my life I felt a longing, but only now can I see what it was that I was truly longing for. I had always thought I felt that way because I missed my father or because I was lonely being an only child. I guess I was half right, my desire to have siblings was founded after all. The boys have an amazing ability to make me feel safe and loved. It's as though they loved me on first sight. I guess it's a bit of a foreign feelings considering I had to work so hard for every relationship I'd ever had, including the strong friendship I enjoy with Harry and Ron. I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised though, for in a short amount of time I've become so very attached to my brothers, more than I thought was possible. I rely on them so much now; in a way it's somewhat frightening how much I need them. The movie came to an end and shortly before midnight we all went to bed before we could fall asleep in the basement.

*****

The next morning the children of the Snape household awoke early. They had happily wasted more than half of their time together without even touching their homework. Deciding that this morning would be a good time to start, Hermione rousted the boys out of bed at 8:00 am.

"Bloody hell, Kyla, why do we have to be up _so early_?" Aleks complained tiredly.

"Yeah, Merlin Hermione, I'm sleepy!" Blaise agreed.

"Oh stop complaining boys, it's not that early. Besides we should get started on all that homework today," I scolded mildly.

Grumbling and mumbling they sleepily trudged downstairs for breakfast. I was not nearly so tired and herded them into the kitchen quite cheerfully.

"Good morning Daddy!" I greeted happily upon entering the room.

"Good morning Mia," he greeted amiably, "why are you lot up so early?"

"Cause you have a vindictive, slave driver for a daughter," Malik grumbled.

"Oh, honestly, you three act as though you've never woken up before noon in your life," I exclaimed in exasperation.

"No, we are normal and enjoy a little thing called SLEEP!" Aleks defended.

"Mmhmm... all right well, I'm sure some warm breakfast will wake you boys up," I said, trying to get them going. So we all sat down and the boys started shovelling food onto their plates.

*And I thought Ron was the only one who ate like that* I thought to myself. Apparently my mental shields were not as strong as I thought, because I got a fairly indignant response to my comment.

*We're growing boys, we need food* Malik said

*That much of it?* I questioned laughingly

*Yup. How else do you expect us to grow tall and strong?* Aleks asked.

*Oh, don't get cheeky with me now, Aleks dear,*

*Me? Cheeky? You jest!*

*Hmm, that fake outrage will do wonders for you in acting school,* I teased.

*Ah zip it Kyla,* Aleks griped.

*But I'm having so much fun!*

*Face it Aleks, we're her personal live entertainment system, especially while those contracts are intact,* Malik lamented woefully.

*Well, yes, I suppose you are for now. But that's what you get for scaring the life out of me that morning!*

*Who's bright idea was that again?* Aleks asked.

*Nice try, I think it was a group plan* Malik said.

"Do you guys mind?" Blaise asked suddenly.

"What?" We asked in unison.

"You three have been staring at each other for the last fifteen minutes in absolute silence!" He exclaimed, "and you were smirking and making faces at each other."

"Oh... yeah, sorry 'bout that Cuz" Aleks said sheepishly.

"You three should learn to control this better, otherwise it could lead you to some unexpected trouble," Father warned.

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Strange bouts of silence would appear odd and give away your connection. I'm warning you boys too. Don't let it distract you from the outside world," he clarified.

"Yeah, I guess it would seem weird," I agreed. It would look terribly strange if I started to zone out suddenly during the day.

Conversation dwindled as we ate. We finished our breakfasts and I dragged all three reluctant boys to the library. Blaise and I had similar work to do since we're in all the same classes, but Malik and Aleksander have slightly different homework. Regardless, we all sat down and tried to get through as much as we could. After working for about three and a half hours we took a break for lunch. We'd made good progress, I managed to finish one essay and two smaller assignments. I had just started my Defence essay when we stopped for a food break. We were all happy for a break by then, even me. For all that I love books and time in the library even I like to take a breather every now and then.

After a quick lunch, we agreed to do finish the assignments we started before putting our homework away for the day. I allowed the boys to relax for about an hour after we finished our schoolwork before I started to make demands on them again. I started small and simple again, asking very nicely if they could fetch me a snack or a drink. We were just lounging around near the pond. The boys were taking turns playing wizard's chess, so since once of them was just watching, I decided to make use of them.

"Aleks, you're just watching, come give me a massage will you?"

"Aww Kyla, do I have to?" he whined.

"Contracts, remember?" I taunted playfully.

"Fine...."

Ten minutes later, Malik let out a triumphant whoop. Apparently he just beat Blaise so I released Aleks from his task and told him to switch with Blaise. I was just about to get a nice foot massage, so that lovely duty went to him now. Needless to say, he was less than pleased.

"Ugh, I think I'm getting to know you better than I thought I would Hermione," Blaise said ruefully.

"Now, now, Blaise, we're cousins, you should be happy to get to know me so well,"

"Yes, I'm learning so much from massaging your feet," he commented dryly.

"Trust me, your future girlfriend or wife will appreciate this. So really, I'm doing you a long-term favour!"

"Ha! I am _so_ not massaging my future girlfriend's feet,"

"You say this now...."

"You implying I'm gonna be a pushover boyfriend?" he asked outraged.

"Of course not, Blaise," I soothed.

"Hmph, better not be..." he mumbled darkly, before resolutely returning to his task.

Before we knew it, it was dinner time and we whiled away the rest of the evening. We were heading to bed when I decided to make use of another chore listed in the contracts.

"Malik, be a dear and brush my hair out for me please?" I asked sweetly. I always hate brushing my hair before bed since it's like having a mini-battle. Not brushing it was not an option unless I was planning on chopping it all off the next morning. But making Malik do it for me before bed, meant that I could just sit back and relax.

"I'm sorry, _what?_" Malik asked, unsure he had heard correctly.

"I want you to brush out my hair for me. It's quite a hassle and requires some effort, so you might as well make yourself useful,"

Sighing loudly he reluctantly plucked my hair brush from my hand and glared at my reflection in the mirror.

"Well, turn around then," he said as he came to stand behind my chair. Slowly, he started brush my hair, gently teasing the knots and tangles into giving way to his ministration.

"Merlin, Kyla, you're hair may not be as frizzy as it is under the glamour, but even still, it's got a mind of it's own!"

"You're telling me...." I mumbled under my breath.

"Heh, maybe we should be calling you Medusa instead eh?" He laughed

"Try it and I promise you Malik Dreaden Snape, you will regret it," I warned.

"Oh relax, I was just kidding,"

"Mmhmm... you better be,"

Chuckling quietly, he continued brushing out my hair. After he got all the snags out, he braided it neatly so it wouldn't get too tangled during the night..

"All done," he said quietly, tucking any strands that escaped behind my ears.

"Thanks, Malik," I said softly, turning my head slightly to look at him.

"Anytime, love,"

Dropping a light kiss on the top of my head he headed back to his room. He stopped in the doorway to bid me goodnight and disappeared into his room.

Smiling softly, I climbed into bed, content and happy. _If only I had known such love from my siblings when I was younger_, I thought wistfully. Sighing, I snuggled into my bed. Nothing could change the past, I should be thankful that I have their affection now. After the year I had, it was nice to feel such unconditional love from my family. With these final happy thoughts, I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

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_Thanks for reading, leave a review please, they make me smile :)_


	21. Just Another Day at Snape Manor

_Hey all!_

_I am sooooooo sorry for the long delay on this chapter. This was my final term of school for my degree so I was insanely busy (more so than in past terms). It's not very long or particularly important, it's more of a filler chapter, but I promise that things will start moving forward at a better pace soon. Next chapter will coincide with what happens in the beginning of HP5 Order of the Phoenix. _

_Thank you so much to all those faithful reviewers and to all my readers who have continued to follow this story. I know that the updates have been few and far inbetween lately, and while I wish I could promise quicker updates, I cannot. I am starting another degree in January and so I will be very busy again, but I will try and get more writing done. I hope to have another chapter written by New Years, and I'll try to write more during the beginning of term when I have more time. _

_Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and please let me know what you think, I'm always open to suggestions and criticism (constructive, of course). Well, enjoy!_

_DeceptiveFates  
_

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the Snape brothers_  
_

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Chapter 21 – Just Another Day at Snape Manor

The next week passed quickly and pleasantly, though I imagine it was somewhat less enjoyable for my brothers and cousin. I was taking full advantage of their services and was not about to apologize for it. Surprisingly, Blaise and I were getting along quite well. I never thought I would actually like anyone remotely associated with Malfoy, but despite being his best friend, Blaise was a nice guy. Over the last week we had been getting closer. By closer, I mean we didn't loathe the sight of each other anymore. Still, it was good progress in my books. We still avoided any topics that may lead to heated arguments or other serious issues, but I suppose that's only natural. Four years of hate and loathing are not likely to disappear in the course of a month, after all. It could have been worse though, at least Harry, Ron and I haven't had very many specific encounters with Blaise. He had always been a part of Malfoy's posse and enjoyed harassing us, but I cannot recall him ever being explicitly cruel. I suppose I'm not so surprised anymore; Blaise does not appear to be someone who enjoys conflict. _If only Malfoy could adopt such an attitude,_ I thought wistfully. Putting away those unpleasant thoughts, I decided it was high time I went down for breakfast. _Speak of the devil,_ I thought, as I saw Blaise already seated at the table and talking quietly with my father.

"Morning, Granger," Blaise greeted, giving me a courteous nod.

"Good morning, Blaise, Father," I reciprocated pleasantly, "are the boys not up yet?"

"Not yet, though that's hardly a surprise," father drawled with a roll of his eyes.

"No, I suppose it isn't," I agreed, settling down to the table.

"A letter came for you, Mia, I'm assuming it is from your mother," father said mildly.

"Really? That's wonderful! I was hoping she would reply quickly, I'm glad she did," I said happily. "May I see it now, father?"

He gave me a curt nod, handed the letter over and then resumed his perusal of the morning paper. I quickly excused myself, wanting to read the letter in private. It felt almost as though I was betraying a confidence or being spied on if I were to read my mother's letter with an audience. For some reason it felt like an intensely private thing. Strange, considering it was only from my mother, not some secret boyfriend or anything. I wandered towards the solarium, knowing that it would be empty and peaceful.

Settling down comfortably, I carefully opened the seal, not wanting to ruin any part of my mother's letter.

_My darling Hermione,_

_It was so wonderful to hear from you, my dear! I miss you terribly and I cannot wait until I can see you again. I hate being so far away from my little girl. I am very glad to hear that you are getting along so well with your father and brothers. It is such a relief to me to know that you are being so well taken care of. You may be older now, but I still worry about you. I am your mother after all! I know that you are probably rolling your eyes and thinking that I'm being ridiculous, but really, sweetheart, you're my only daughter, I think I have the right to worry. I wish I could see you, or at least be a little closer to you. This is the first summer that I haven't spent with you, and it's even more difficult than I thought it would be. But enough of that, I didn't write to you only to complain. It was very kind of Professor Snape to ask me to come visit you at your new home. I think I can coordinate my leave during your summer so we can have lots of girl time. From what you've described, the Snape estate is quite extravagant, and I cannot wait to see it, and more specifically, you in it! I would very much like to get to know your brothers. Writing you from here is rather more of a hassle, but I was thinking I could write you muggle letters and have someone owl them to you, how does that sound? At least that way we could communicate more frequently. Oh, I do miss you my darling, life just isn't the same without you. I miss you terribly! But enough of that, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. Be safe!_

_All my love,_

_Mum_

I leaned back, sinking down into my chair with a sigh. I thought that it would be nice to read a letter from her, but it only served to make me miss her even more! _I wish she were here,_ I thought sadly. The boys, my father, and the house were all so wonderful, I wished she could share it with me. I love them all so much already; they were everything I had wished for when I was a child. I surprised myself when I suddenly realized that I was including Blaise in my description of "the boys". I suppose Blaise would just come under the category of "family I don't entirely get along with". It's fairly common, you can't expect to like your _entire_ family right? At least we were civil to each other and even occasionally friendly. In my books, that was progress. From enemies to almost friends counts as quite the accomplishment in my opinion. Hopefully my brothers and father would agree. Nevertheless, I still wanted my mother to come meet them all, Blaise included. I smirked as I imagined the look of awed shock that would likely grace her face upon seeing this house.

"What evil plan are you cooking up now, Kyla?" Malik asked from the doorframe.

"Hah, no evil plans this time, Malik," I replied smiling. I patted the seat next to me, "come sit."

Sighing dramatically, he levered himself away from the doorframe he was leaning against and sauntered towards the couch.

"Oh don't be such a prissy!" I laughed, pulling him to the couch forcefully.

"Hey! Ouch!" he exclaimed, surprised by my sudden action. "Easy, woman, my arm is not extendable, it can only be pulled so far!"

I rolled my eyes in annoyance, "whiney whiney," I taunted. I received a stern glare from him in return, but he gave in after a moment and settled down with me.

"So, who's that from?"

"My mother...."

"And... what'd she say?"

"Well, quite a lot actually. But I'm not surprised, I can practically hear her from the way she's written the letter," I laughed, happy to be able to talk to someone about her.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I guess that's who you get it from."

"Get what from?"

"Hmm... how should I put this nicely," he drawled, adopting a thoughtful pose. "You are sometimes a little _too_ articulate... or rather, exuberant in your letters. But I mean that in the nicest way possible!" he added quickly, giving me a too-innocent smile.

"Uh huh... well, I think I will choose to take that as a compliment," I said nonchalantly

"Um... right, you do that."

"Anyways, she was just writing to say that she can't wait to see me next summer. Father sent my letter a while ago and sent a formal invitation a few days ago, so hopefully she'll be able to come here to the Manor next June."

"Wow, that's pretty cool. Your mom seems really nice, and if it makes you happy, it makes us happy."

"Cheesy line, but thanks for the sentiment all the same," I said quirking him a smile.

"Hey, cheesy lines are also the most successful lines! Leave my cheesiness alone!"

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dare mess with your cheesiness," I assured him.

"Good, now, wanna go down to the garden? We were thinking of having a chess tournament."

"Sure, sounds like fun... besides I need to brush up on my chess skills, maybe then I'll actually have a chance against the boys, Harry and Ron, I mean."

"Right... whatever you say, sis, but let's go, I told Aleksander we'd meet them down there."

Arm in arm we wandered down to where Aleksander and Blaise were waiting for us. It was a beautiful day out so we settled down for an afternoon in the sun. I was quickly eliminated from the chess tournament after the sound pummelling I received from Aleks. Apparently the concept of a handicap is not present in the Wizarding world. Expecting this to happen, however, I had summoned a book earlier so I would have something to do rather than watch the boys play. I found it vaguely amusing how competitive they were about a silly game, but held my tongue. Ron never appreciated such comments from me, so it was safe to assume the same went for my brothers and cousin. Reclining comfortably, I enjoyed the warmth of the sun as I read. I was jolted out of my world of fiction when the boys all started yelling and whooping at once.

"Merlin, boys, what's all the racket about?" I asked setting my book aside.

"The _great_ Aleksander Cale Snape just lost to Blaise!" Malik informed me, chuckling evilly.

"Damn right he did," Blaise added smirking smugly.

"I demand a rematch!" Aleks exclaimed self-righteously

"Now, now, Aleks, losing twice would be even worse! Let your ego take the blow on this one," Malik advised.

"What makes you think I'd lose again?" he challenged.

"Well, Aleks, you are getting a little wound up about this and that would affect your logical reasoning skills, which makes the likelihood of you besting Blaise significantly reduced," I said calmly.

Three pairs of eyes stared blankly at me.

"What? Just because I understand how it works doesn't mean I have to like the bloody game!" I defended

"Whatever you say, Kyla," Aleks said shaking his head.

The argument was dropped as we all agreed that the weather was perfect for a swim. The day passed quickly with each of us enjoying the excellent weather and equally excellent company. It was sad to think that I only had another two days with them before leaving for Grimmauld Place. I was excited to see Harry, Ron and the others, but it was disappointing to have to leave my brothers and even Blaise. The arrogant bugger was beginning to grow on me. Next year would be difficult pretending to hate him though; I could only pray that he would avoid any confrontations with me otherwise it could get awkward fast. It was bad enough having to pretend to loathe father, but my cousin too? At least that's one good thing about the boys not attending Hogwarts, because having to hate them or be mean to me, might be more than I can handle. Sighing, I started packing, knowing that I wouldn't want to waste time on it tomorrow when I could be spending those few remaining hours with my family.

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_Thanks for reading, leave a review please! :)_

_HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  
_


	22. Quidditch and Politics

_Hey all! Okay, so maybe I over-estimated my time management skills, but it's only a week late, right?! Anyway, I hope this chapter will appease you for a while, I'm not sure when I'll be able to get the next chapter out, but I am hopeful that it won't be TOO long. This chapter didn't go in the direction I had intended, (meaning it didn't follow my outline at all... grr) but I swear, it's not my fault! Hermione just DIDN'T want to leave the Manor! Anyway, Hermione's stubbornness aside, I will try to force the plot into the direction I want for the next update._

**NOTE TO DRACO LOVERS**  
_I know many of you are wondering why this is a Hermione/Draco story. To be honest, I did not realize the story would be so long, or that 4th year and the summer following it would take so long. I PROMISE that Draco will become an active member of the story once 5th year starts. It's basically impossible for him to play a part in the story at this point since there is no way for them to interact at all. I hope you can be patient with me for a while longer, I am sorry to those who are disappointed though, I admit, I wish Draco were involved in the plot more as well._

_Anyway, I will not keep you any longer, enjoy!_

Discalimer: I own nothing but the plot and the Snape brothers.

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Chapter 22 - Quidditch and Politics

I awoke the next morning with the distinct feeling of being watched. Figuring I was just being paranoid, I snuggled further into the comforters wanting to sleep for a few more minutes. Feeling the bed dip, I wiggled and twisted so I could face whoever was occupying the side of my bed. I pulled the covers away from my face sleepily.

"Hmm... wha-what time is it?" I murmured tiredly.

"It's nine am, sweetheart," my father said softly, gently stroking the hair away from my face. "Think you want to get up soon? It's your last day here."

"Mmm I know... I suppose I should be getting up," I said with a sigh.

"Yes, yes, you should, even the boys are awake, if not actually up."

"Well, in that case..." I said mockingly with a laugh.

"Indeed. Come down when you're ready, I'll have the table set."

Stretching luxuriously I lay back content. I had quickly gotten used to the life of luxury that Snape manor provided. I was by no mean spoiled; my mother's home – in many ways, my real home – was quite simple. We lived in a normal, middle-to-high class family home; nothing particularly special. In comparison, Snape manor is a castle fit for royalty. I wished I could stay here for the rest of the summer. I didn't want to leave my family, but at the same time, I want to see Harry and Ron. Sighing, I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed and trudged over to the washroom. In thirty minutes I was fresh, awake, and ready for the day. I wandered leisurely into the kitchen and was surprised to see all three boys sitting neatly at the table waiting for me.

"What's all this?" I asked with a laugh, looking to my father for an explanation.

"It's your last morning here, I thought we should all have breakfast together," he replied with a slight smile.

It never failed to amaze me that the professor whom we all thought was evil and horrible could be so kind, could even smile and express his love and affection for his family. It was still so strange to think he was not always the stern and forbidding man I had spent three years avoiding.

"Thanks, dad, breakfast together would be great," I said warmly.

"Great, so, what's the plan for today?" Aleks asked as I sat down to join them.

"Dunno, what do you guys wanna do?" Blaise replied.

"I guess we could play a round of Quidditch," Malik suggested.

"Hey dad, you should play!" I added. "You can play two-on-two, and I'll watch. We all know I'm bullocks at Quidditch, and I've never seen dad play."

"Yeah, good idea," the boys agreed.

We all turned to look at him pleadingly.

"Please, daddy?" I asked sweetly, putting forth my best puppy-dog look.

"I suppose, I could play a round or two," he drawled in mock exasperation.

"Awesome!" we exclaimed grinning.

So we finished our breakfast and the boys trooped off to get their gear. I took my time and helped my father clear the kitchen.

"So did you play Quidditch when you were in Hogwarts?" I asked curiously.

"No; I could have, but the selections for the Slytherin Quidditch team was not based on merit... it was a political issue,"

"What do you mean, political?" I asked confused. I could see nothing political about Quidditch, it was just a sport!

"Of course, a Gryffindor wouldn't see anything political about it," he said mockingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It isn't an insult, Mia, it is just a statement of fact," he said kindly. Sitting down, he indicated that I too should take a seat.

"Okay, then what _do_ you mean by that?" I asked.

"In Slytherin, everything is politics. Who you sit with, what you do, how you do it. Everything. It all comes down to _who_ you are."

"So like Malfoy, then? " I asked, trying to sort out the idea in my head.

"Yes, like Malfoy. It isn't about popularity, in Slytherin; it's about power, and who has the most of it," father said seriously. "Everything down to the Quidditch team list is decided based on both internal house politics and real-world politics. Actual talent, rarely factors in."

"Well that seems terribly unfair... isn't it regulated somehow?"

"It is unfair. And it should be regulated by the head of house, but in the case of Slytherin, and my case in particular, the issue was solved with bribery and threats. I went to school with some children from very powerful families, Mia."

"Oh, I had no idea... does this mean that even now, as head of Slytherin, you have to play the same political game from the other end?"

"Yes, although it is less complicated for me since they don't need to threaten me, nor should they, considering my perceived loyalties."

"I always thought you were well respected in your house during your Hogwarts years... at least that's how it always seems," I said, confused by the conflicting information.

"Yes, I was respected, but not because of my lineage. I earned that respect... albeit in the all the wrong ways, but in Slytherin, I made a name for myself due to my intelligence and ruthlessness... Slytherin house is not kind to those who are weak, or perceived to be weak. I gained respect, but I am not proud of my methods, and I would not wish for you or the boys to carry on in my footsteps," he said seriously.

"I never knew things were so difficult in Slytherin, I almost feel bad for them now – almost – I still think Slytherins are all a bunch of nasty buggers."

He barked out a laugh before saying, "I admit, many of them are, nasty buggers, as you so eloquently put it, but I think you can see now that they are not _all_ so horrible."

"True, I mean Blaise isn't so bad, and you were a Slytherin and I like you just fine," I said giving him a cheeky grin.

"I am pleased to see you and Blaise getting along, you are family now."

"I know, and I think as long as we avoid certain topics or people, Blaise and I will get along just fine."

"Good, but don't forget, when you go back to Hogwarts you cannot be lenient towards him, nor he towards you."

"I know," I said with a sigh. I hated pretending to despise my family, I only hope that it won't strain my relationship with Blaise now that we have finally found common ground.

"All right, I'm going to get my gear and I'll meet you and the boys outside," father said as he put away the last plate.

*****

Three hours later three muddy, sweaty, exhausted boys slumped into the house followed by father who was also tired, but considerably less grimy. I followed them in and went to wait in the sitting room while they all showered and changed. It had been a long and somewhat vicious match. Father teamed up with Aleks while Malik and Blaise played on the other team. It was necessary to split the boys up so that the game would be fair in terms of communication. If Aleks and Malik were on the same team they could coordinate their movements with their mental connection and the other team wouldn't know a thing. This division put both teams on fairly even playing ground. Malik and Blaise lost the match, but it was unfortunate because they were the ones that caught the snitch but father and Aleks still had more points so they won. Suffice it to say that Malik and Blaise were feeling a bit sore about the loss. I really shouldn't have been surprised; boys really do take Quidditch too seriously and for the life of me I cannot understand why. Blaise and Malik were even more peeved because they lost even with the handicap!

I followed the boys upstairs and jumped up onto Malik's bed, laying back and relaxed as Malik went to grab some clean clothes. Aleks and Blaise each went to their respective rooms to shower and change but would meet back here. Sighing, I closed my eyes. _I wish I didn't have to leave today_.

*Same here, love,* Malik thought back.

*Sorry, didn't mean to broadcast... I guess I'm still not used to this thing,* I apologized.

*That's all right, you caught on more quickly than I would've expected,* Aleks chimed in, *and I'm with Malik on this one; I wish you didn't have to leave either.*

*I know, boys, I know. But I suppose it's for the best.*

*How do you mean?* Aleks asked.

*Well, after everything that happened last year, I figure Harry could really use the support and things are getting more tense so I really think it's important I be with them right now.*

*I guess that makes sense... I don't think I like you being in the middle of all that though,* Malik said with a note of frustration.

*You don't have to like it, but you sure have to live with it. I have no intention of abandoning Harry, least of all when he needs me most," I said haughtily

*All right, all right, don't get into a huff about it, I was just saying that I wish you weren't such a big target,* Malik reasoned.

*We just want to look out for you, Kyla,* Aleks said.

*I know you do, but I am fully capable of taking care of myself.*

*Maybe so, but we get to worry about you, love,* Aleks said reasonably.

"Exactly," Malik agreed as he stepped out of the washroom.

"All right, I know you worry, I've already gotten _that _lecture from dad," I said in exasperation. I know they love me, but I am hardly a child! Deciding it was better to change the subject, I asked what the plan was for the rest of the day.

"Dunno, how 'bout we grab a snack and play some cards by the lake?" Blaise suggested as he and Aleks joined us in Malik's room.

"Sounds good to me, I'll go grab us some picnic blankets and food while you boys get ready," I said jumping off the bed.

*****

I stood by the front door with two large baskets and a small pile of blankets.

"Geez, Kyla, what'd you do? Pack up the whole kitchen?" Aleks asked quirking his brow in a very Snape-like fashion.

"Heh, funny, but no," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes for added effect. "You three are likely to eat twice as much as normal since you've been playing Quidditch all morning, and none of us have had lunch yet, so I think this should be enough... you'll thank me when you've gone through both baskets."

"Fair enough," he conceded.

"Okay, everyone grab something, and let's go!" I chirped happily

We spent the remainder of the afternoon lounging around, playing cards, and generally enjoying each other's company. Around five, we packed up and started back toward the house. I linked my arm through Malik's as we meandered away from the lake.

"What's up, Kyla?" Malik asked, nudging me slightly.

"Nothing... just enjoying being with you guys... I'm really going to miss you when I leave," I replied quietly, resting my head against his shoulder.

"Yeah," he sighed.

Entering the house, we deposited all our things and went off in search of father. We found him in the library, hidden away in one of the obscure corners of the room. This was certainly the one room I would miss the most. The ambiance was reminiscent of the Hogwarts library, but felt much cosier.

"What've you been up to dad?" I asked, joining him on the couch.

"Just some light research, nothing particularly interesting; how was your afternoon?" he asked, directing the question to the group of us.

"Pretty good, I guess we were just enjoying our last day with Hermione," Aleks replied.

"Very good," father said with a nod. "Come, we should all have an early dinner tonight, Hermione needs to leave in a few hours."

"I'm not sure I want to leave anymore," I said sadly.

Smiling slightly, father put his arm around me. "You may feel that way now, but I am certain you will be happy to see your friends when you arrive."

"Yes, I suppose I will," I said noncommittally as I looked up at him.

*****

After a pleasant meal with the whole family, I was ready to leave. Father had sent my bags along ahead of time, so I didn't have much to take with me. I stood arm-in-arm with both Malik and Aleks while we waited for father to join us in the foyer. I knew that this would be the last time I would see them until the summer since I would be expected to go to the Burrow for Christmas. I would at least get to _see_ Blaise and father during the school year.

"All right, Mia, are you ready to go?" father asked as he came down the stairs.

"I suppose so, yes," I answered quietly.

"Well, I guess I'll start the goodbyes," Blaise said, breaking the awkward silence. "I had fun this summer; I think I'm actually going to miss you, cuz!"

"Haha, I think I'll miss you too, Blaise... you're not half bad, you know," I said giving him a hug.

Turning from him, I gave each of my brothers a long hug.

*I'm really going to miss you boys,* I thought, trying to suppress my sudden urge to cry.

*I know, we're really going to miss you too sis,* Malik said with a sigh.

*Be safe, okay? We want you back in one piece next summer,* Aleks added, throwing in the last part to lighten the mood.

*I will,* I promised.

*All right then, off with you,* Malik said.

"Well, I will see you boys next summer," I said out loud. "Have a good term and do try not to cause too much havoc."

"Always a worthy goal, not one often fulfilled, however," Aleks said with a laugh.

"I know, the two of you are hopeless... much like another set of twins I know," I smirked, shooting a knowing glance toward my father.

"Very well then, we should be leaving," father said with finality.

"Bye, everyone!" I called out, as I walked out the front door. I could help but sigh sadly when the door shut.

"Now, Mia, there's no need to mope, you can speak to the boys whenever you like," father said, breaking the dull silence.

"I know...." I muttered, still feeling downcast. "But I won't get to _see_ them until next summer!"

"Unfortunately, that is the reality of the situation. I'm sure once you settle into your routine, it won't seem so bad."

"I suppose."

We reached the apparition spot at the end of the path. I turned back to look upon the Manor once more, trying to take in the view of what had come be my home. I would miss this place.

"Hermione?" my father called.

"Yes, dad?" I responded, pulling my gaze away from the Manor and turning my attention back to him.

"I know that you do not need the reminder, but I will say it anyway, be careful not to let slip anything about the family," he said seriously, placing both hands on my shoulders.

"Yes, father, I promise I will be careful," I said confidently, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Good, I expect no less from you. I will miss you though, Mia."

"I'll miss you too, dad," I said with a smile. "Can we still meet for tea like we did last year?"

"Of course, I see no reason why we couldn't."

"Great!" I said beaming up at him. I could feel my spirits lifting at the assurance that I would not be completely alone over the next year.

"Very well, I'll put the Glamour back on and then we should leave; Professor McGonagall will be waiting at the Leaky Cauldron for you."

"All right, I suppose if you must."

I closed my eyes as the familiar tingling sensation washed over me, followed by the stinging burn in my eyes as the eerie violet morphed back into an ordinary brown. I blinked furiously for a moment before reaching up and patting my hair with one hand. _Frizzy brown again,_ I thought with a sigh. Shaking my frivolous thoughts from my head I stepped into my father's embrace as he prepared to apparate us to Diagon Alley.

We arrived smoothly in a dark, back alleyway. Well, _father _arrived smoothly, I, however, was clearly lacking in the grace department and stumbled as I tried to regain my footing. The only thing keeping me from crumbling to the ground in a heap was the firm grip of my father's arms around me.

"Don't say it," I grumbled, not needing to look up to know there was an arrogant smirk plastered to his face.

"Say what, sweetheart?" he asked innocently.

I didn't deem his inquiry worthy of a verbal response, so I chose to give him a withering glare instead. This only served to amuse him, as he let out a low chuckle before kissing me lightly on the forehead.

"Enjoy the rest of your summer and have a good term, Mia," he said gently.

"Thanks, dad," I said, while thinking, _who knew that the dread professor Snape could sound so fatherly!_

*****

_The Leaky Cauldron_

A cloaked figure watched silently from across the bar as Snape marched into the pub trailed by the Granger girl. _And where might you be going, my little Mudblood?_ the observer wondered idly as he continued to watch as the pair approached McGonagall.

"Minerva," Snape greeted curtly.

"Good evening, Severus, Hermione,"

"I have more important things to do than chauffeuring children around, Minerva. I trust you are capable of taking it from here?" he sneered derisively.

"Yes, quite." McGonagall replied primly, disapproval clear in her tone. "Come along, Miss Granger, the Weasleys are waiting for you," she said turning her attention to the girl.

"Yes, professor,"

The professors bid each other a terse farewell before McGonagall gathered the girl and left the pub. The observer was torn between following the girl and staying to watch Snape. Choosing to stay, the observer ordered another glass of firewhisky. Snape approached the bar and ordered a drink, while continuing to watch the girl leave. His expression was guarded and nonchalant, but the observer knew there was more to it. He had been told specifically by his employer to observe the potions Master's interactions with the girl. He didn't know why, but then again, he wasn't paid to ask questions. There appeared to be nothing unusual in Snape's behaviour, but just to be sure, the observer waited until the man left before following him out of the pub. Just as he stepped out, Snape disappeared around the corner and the observer heard the distinct pop of a person apparating out. Turning the corner to double check, he glanced around before he too apparated away to report to his mistress.

*****

They had been watched. He was sure of it. Severus Snape was not a master spy for nothing, he could _tell_ when he was being followed. That distinct tingle of another person's gaze was detectable to him even in a room as crowded as the bustling pub. The real question, however, was _who _was watching them, and _why_. Or rather, which of the three of them, was being watched. Either way, he would have to be careful, exposing his daughter was _not_ an option. Sighing tiredly, he entered the house and returned to the library hoping to get some work done.

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_**HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS!!!**  
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